Guaranteed to tickle and delight while reinforcing counting skills.
A mouse curls up in a “wee-sized heap” in a cozy winter den, snoring, sleeping, dozing, and dreaming in a “snoozapalooza.” He’s joined by a snail, and the two snuggle in a “tiny heap,” snoring, sleeping, dozing, and dreaming. A mole tunnels into the den, becoming the third creature in the “little heap.” A weary chipmunk appears as the fourth snoring, sleeping animal in the “bigger heap.” A hedgehog makes it a “growing heap” of five, followed by a rabbit who adds to the “rising heap” of six. A skunk settles into the “mighty heap” of seven. The arrival of a fox creates a “grand-sized heap” of eight, and a badger increases the “giant heap” to nine. Finally, a bear squeezes into the now-“massive heap” of snoring, sleeping, dozing, and dreaming denizens. Their combined, prodigious snoring eventually frightens and bewilders 10 other woodland critters, prompting them to mount a massive wake-up chorus. Relying on repetition—but for the number (rendered as a numeral) and the adjective, many stanzas are identical—and rhyme, the text of this clever counting book gradually builds into a “snoozapalooza” as each new creature joins the snoring heap. Working with simple, readily identifiable shapes, the fancifully colorful, comic illustrations visually reinforce the growth concept, with the increasing size of each creature added to the expanding mass of hilariously intertwined, hibernating bodies.
Guaranteed to tickle and delight while reinforcing counting skills. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-64170-255-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Familius
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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 bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated.
Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s classic alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets the Halloween treatment.
Chung follows the original formula to the letter. In alphabetical order, each letter climbs to the top of a tree. They are knocked back to the ground in a jumble before climbing up in sequence again. In homage to the spooky holiday theme, they scale a “creaky old tree,” and a ghostly jump scare causes the pileup. The chunky, colorful art is instantly recognizable. The charmingly costumed letters (“H swings a tail. / I wears a patch. J and K don / bows that don’t match”) are set against a dark backdrop, framed by pages with orange or purple borders. The spreads feature spiderwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. The familiar rhyme cadence is marred by the occasional clunky or awkward phrase; in particular, the adapted refrain of “Chicka chicka tricka treat” offers tongue-twisting fun, but it’s repeatedly followed by the disappointing half-rhyme “Everybody sneaka sneak.” Even this odd construction feels shoehorned into place, since “sneaking” makes little sense when every character in the book is climbing together. The final line of the book ends on a more satisfying note, with “Everybody—time to eat!”
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781665954785
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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