Mythical-creature aficionados won’t be able to resist.
A cheery nighttime routine.
The duo behind Unicorn Day (2019) tackles the next logical question: What do unicorns do at night? After nonstop rainbow-sliding, cupcake-eating, and, of course, twirling, drowsy unicorns wind down. They don’t brush their teeth, but they do need to shine their horns before bed. They also “brush their manes, / as soft as silk, / and have a sip / of moonbeam milk.” Bedtime stories are shared and cloud pillows are fluffed as eyelids slowly close. But wait! The unicorns startle awake. They forgot to sing their song! Unlike the energetic previous outing, which promotes fun, fun, fun, this lullaby is filled with moonlight, fairies, and lulling sounds. “Neigh, neigh, neigh, played all day, / time to sleep the night away!” The music drifts down to the forest floor, soothing all the woodland creatures as they prepare for bed too. Flowers employs deep purples and blues for a dusk setting, but the unicorns’ blankets, sleep masks, hair, and horns are all still bright and colorful, keeping the joviality intact. Eagle-eyed readers will spot the tiny, purple dragon hiding on most pages. This bedtime book doesn’t bring much new to the genre, except…unicorns!
Mythical-creature aficionados won’t be able to resist. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72822-298-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
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