THE SNOW BEAST

Name: THE SNOW BEAST
Author: Chris Judge
ISBN: 978-1-4677-9313-1

by Chris Judge ; illustrated by Chris Judge ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2015

The short and clever text and colorful images make this book a great read-aloud for wintertime story hours and cozy nights...

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A quirky and snowy tale of affable beasts and friendship in unexpected places.

Every winter, the Beast has helped the mountain villagers coordinate a festival in celebration of the first day of snow. This year, both Beast and villagers are surprised and dismayed to find out that all the tools they need for the festival preparations have been stolen. Amid the chaos, one villager concludes that the unrest “must be the work of the abominable Snow Beast.” Wanting to help the villagers, the Beast promises to find the “mysterious monster” and to bring back the tools so the festival can come off. He embarks on a walk in the snow to find the Snow Beast, little knowing that this “abominable” creature is set to bring joy to his life and his village. In this follow-up to The Lonely Beast (2011) and other titles featuring the inky, furred black biped with glowing yellow eyes, Judge gives readers a tale filled with wit and ending with a folky twist. The vibrant illustrations and comic-book–style layout and transitions bring movement, depth, and whimsy to the story.

The short and clever text and colorful images make this book a great read-aloud for wintertime story hours and cozy nights at home with the little ones. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4677-9313-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Andersen Press USA

Review Posted Online: June 28, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S MYSTERY & THRILLER

- BOOK REVIEW
CLOUD BABIES
by Eoin Colfer ; illustrated by Chris Judge

- BOOK REVIEW
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS SWEATER (AND THE SHEEP WHO CHANGED EVERYTHING)
by Ryan Tubridy ; illustrated by Chris Judge

- BOOK REVIEW
AWESOME ACHIEVERS IN TECHNOLOGY
by Alan Katz ; illustrated by Chris Judge

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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DIGGERSAURS

by Michael Whaite ; illustrated by Michael Whaite ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2019

Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their...

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Less ambitious than Chris Gall’s widely known Dinotrux (2009) and sequels, this British import systematically relegates each dinosaur/construction-equipment hybrid to its most logical job.

The title figures are introduced as bigger than both diggers and dinosaurs, and rhyming text and two construction-helmeted kids show just what these creatures are capable of. Each diggersaur has a specific job to do and a distinct sound effect. The dozersaurus moves rocks with a “SCRAAAAPE!!!” while the rollersaurus flattens lumps with a cheery “TOOT TOOT!!” Each diggersaur is numbered, with 12 in all, allowing this to be a counting book on the sly. As the diggersaurs (not all of which dig) perform jobs that regular construction equipment can do, albeit on a larger scale, there is no particular reason why any of them should have dinosaurlike looks other than just ’cause. Peppy computer art tries valiantly to attract attention away from the singularly unoriginal text. “Diggersaurs dig with bites so BIG, / each SCOOP creates a crater. // They’re TOUGH and STRONG / with necks so long— / they’re super EXCAVATORS!” Far more interesting are the two human characters, a white girl and a black boy, that flit about the pictures offering commentary and action. Much of the fun of the book can be found in trying to spot them on every two-page spread.

Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their dino/construction kicks. (Picture book. 3-6)