While the tale’s not for sensitive youngsters, more sophisticated readers will appreciate the joke when Otto decides next on...
Otto the rabbit demonstrates that it is possible to have too much of a good thing.
Trixie the rabbit wears only red shoes. Willie the rabbit is never without his blue roller skates. Not to be outdone, Otto decides on carrots. He will eat only carrots: “Raw carrots, cooked carrots, / fried carrots, baked carrots.” Otto's enthusiasm is depicted in a series of thumbnail drawings, even as his family tries to reason with him. Careful readers will find the speech balloon that warns, “You’ll turn into a carrot!” This is no gentle exploration of food fixation such as those found in the classic Bread and Jam for Frances or Delicious! (2007), Helen Cooper's friendly romp about a fussy eater. In Otto’s case, events take a decidedly ominous turn when his obsession changes him—literally: His ears become carrots. Trixie and Willie want to nibble them. Worse, his classmates dub him Otto Carrotto and surround him, each wanting a bite of his ears. Chaotic collage art captures the frenzied mood—even turning to white line on black at its darkest moment. Boldface text stresses the word repetition and helps set the pace as Otto decides no more carrots.
While the tale’s not for sensitive youngsters, more sophisticated readers will appreciate the joke when Otto decides next on spinach, only spinach. (Picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: July 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8028-5393-6
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Eerdmans
Review Posted Online: June 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2011
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note.
Little Honey Bunny Funnybunny loves baseball almost as much as she loves her big brother P.J.—though it’s a close-run thing.
Readers familiar with the pranks P.J. plays on his younger sibling in older episodes of the series (most illustrated by Roger Bollen) will be amused—and perhaps a little confused—to see him in the role of perfect big brother after meeting his swaddled little sister for the first time in mama’s lap. But here, along with being a constant companion and “always happy to see her,” he cements his heroic status in her eyes by hitting a home run for his baseball team and then patiently teaching her how to play T-ball. After carefully coaching her and leading her through warm-up exercises, he even sits in the stands, loudly cheering her on as she scores the winning run in her own very first game. “‘You are the best brother a bunny could ever have!’” she burbles. This tale’s a tad blander compared with others centered on P.J. and his sister, but it’s undeniably cheery, with text well structured for burgeoning readers. The all-smiles animal cast in Bowers’ cartoon art features a large and diversely hued family of bunnies sporting immense floppy ears as well as a multispecies crowd of furry onlookers equally varied of color, with one spectator in a wheelchair.
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note. (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217032464
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre.
In the latest installment of the delightfully disturbing chapter-book series, the mundane once more takes on supernatural qualities, this time in the form of veggies.
With this follow-up to Troubling Tonsils! (2025), our host, Jasper Rabbit, once more channels Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling. As Jasper narrates, we meet our heroes: fourth graders Thaddeus Badger and Oliver Possum, who love nothing more than eating junk food, particularly the hamburgers at Hurt-A-Burger (a mildly brilliant corporate name on the author’s part). When Oliver’s parents trick the two into a dinner of salads at their favorite fast-food joint, Thaddeus feels betrayed, but Oliver experiences something a little more dire. Soon after, Oliver starts acting strangely, and his parents begin behaving even more oddly. What’s going on? And does it have anything to do with the full moon? Tone is the true star of the show in this series; the mystery unspools thanks to the buildup of unnerving moments. Reynolds combines suspense with a keen ability to artistically frame both sunny innocent sequences and those rich with dark foreboding. Notably, this is no morality tale about eating your vegetables—this tale is fully on the side of its child readers. Brown’s black-and-white images, punctuated with eerie pops of green, heighten both horrifying and comedic moments.
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre. (Chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781665961110
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
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