Fits the bill for readers whose own best buds have been lost to school.
Exuberant Puppy and bored Bear meet one day under the gnarled oak, and from then on, they are the best of friends. But will school put an end to their friendship?
Catch, chase, hide-and-seek, ear-flapping bike rides, plank-walking pirate adventures, and splashes in the creek—this duo does it all over the course of a marvelous summer. But then one morning Bear doesn’t come to the oak to play. When he finally does appear, he’s wearing a backpack and rushing so he won’t be late for the first day of school. Poor Puppy obviously does not understand, watching mournfully as Bear dashes through the gate, sadly following Bear’s play with other animal friends at lunchtime, and missing his friend when he finally is released from school. Puppy tries to play all their favorite games by himself, but it’s just not any fun. Bear finds him that afternoon, sadly curled up under the oak, and the two clear up the misunderstanding and enjoy after-school afternoons filled with best-friend romps. And next fall, it will be Puppy’s turn to go to school. Bendall-Brunello’s Puppy and Bear have marvelously expressive faces, and their play certainly looks like fun in the watercolor-and–colored pencil illustrations. Bear is fully anthropomorphic, wearing clothes and walking on his hind feet, while Puppy is not, which makes for a relationship that might be difficult for readers to decode.
Fits the bill for readers whose own best buds have been lost to school. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5039-5096-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
A reassuring riff on embracing imperfections.
A young rabbit frets about her upcoming violin performance in Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey’s literary debut.
Mei Mei’s dream—“to share her music with the world”—is about to come true. She’s having her very first recital, complete with an orchestra, at the H’Opera House. But the day before the concert, Mei Mei is racked with anxiety. What if she plays a bum note in front of everyone? Sure enough, the worst happens mid-performance: She hits a clinker. But by remembering her mom’s reassuring sentiments from the night before (“Feel the wind…find the notes to make it right”), Mei Mei summons the strength to soldier on, and “wrong notes become right. Dissonance becomes beautiful.” At times, it all feels more like a resilience parable than a story, and the writing can be precious (“The flutter of butterflies wakes Mei Mei from her slumber”). Still, the message is solid, bolstered by O’Hara’s pencil and watercolor illustrations, which are plush-toy soft—fitting, as even prior to this book’s publication, a stuffed Mei Mei has been for sale at Grammy winner Laufey’s website. The tale features an all-animal, all-adorable cast, and endearingly, the art betrays no hint of modern times. A standout image presents Mei Mei onstage, temporarily incapacitated by her mistake and imagining her fellow musicians and their instruments with the color-blasted menace of an expressionist painting.
A reassuring riff on embracing imperfections. (author’s note, glossary) (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9798217051748
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.
Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!
Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9781454999621
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
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