Share this lively tale of bighearted friendship and originality with young readers needing a little zest for life. A...
Chloe finds herself once again with a cliffhanger of a problem (Crafty Chloe, 2012). And it involves her two best friends. Can her creative powers get her out of this pickle?
DiPucchio’s story is filled with entertaining drama and deadpan hilarity. The Parade of Books is a costumed event at school, and Chloe is torn between the ideas of two very best but very different friends. Leo and Chloe are planning to go as Frankenstein and Dracula. But Emma, at their weekly spa day, says they should be Fairy Club fairies and is horrified at Chloe’s plan. “ ‘You’re going to be a MONSTER?’ Emma’s oatmeal mask cracked.” Chloe begins the herculean task of finding a solution to this predicament. The text provides painful insight into the creative process, and Ross’ digitally colored pencil drawings capture this charismatic spirit. Chloe’s frustration is palpable as she dons her winter coat and hat on a beautiful sunny day, hoping a snow day might cancel the impending festivities. With pacing that mimics the first installment, the book gives Chloe a down-to-the-wire moment of inspiration; she begins fussing and fixing through the night. The last page shows Chloe’s creative genius, reflecting it in the adoration of her best friends’ eyes.
Share this lively tale of bighearted friendship and originality with young readers needing a little zest for life. A corresponding website provides crafting ideas and instructions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2124-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2013
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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