Beautifully captures the thrill of finding natural treasures.
A confident kid invites readers to join in a hunt for treasure.
The protagonist, a kid with long, straight, dark hair and tan skin, heads to the bay with Papa and their dog. The beach there, the protagonist promises readers, is full of hidden bounty ripe for discovery. On the way, they pass a shop that sells souvenirs that some might consider treasure. The protagonist assures readers, though, that treasure is always best when we find it for ourselves. The child first searches the sand, uncovering some beach stones, and then in the water, discovering what might be a whale’s tooth. Diving into the cold water, the kid finds everything from a rusty key to a bubble wand. Some of the treasures espied, like cocoons, must be left behind, the mere observation a joy in and of itself. When it is time to go, the narrator must decide what treasure is worth taking with her—and what’s best left to the beach. The book’s soft, warm pastel palette and MacKay’s trademark diorama technique together create the feeling of a hazy, lazy day on the beach. The lyrical text is enjoyable at the line level, employing rich vocabulary and a flowing and natural rhyme scheme. The meditative narrative clearly communicates the importance of valuing and respecting nature without ever being pedantic or preachy.
Beautifully captures the thrill of finding natural treasures. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7624-6301-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends.
Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both!
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!” The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) highlight the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2008, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank.
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85213-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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