A high-spirited holiday charmer.
Hanukkah suits these dinos to a T.
All the dinosaur households are getting ready for the Festival of Lights. At Bary’s, they clean, mop, and dust so the house will look its best when Gran arrives. Meanwhile, T. rex prepares a scrumptious brisket for his family, and Tricera makes applesauce for his guests. Everyone’s excited to participate in Dino-Hanukkah. A group of little ones are anxious to light the menorah on each of the eight nights. However, they are told that the youngest dino child gets first dibs at performing the solemn ceremony. Readers watch as the dinosaurs lead songs and blessings, savor latkes and jelly doughnuts, open gifts, spin dreidels, win chocolate coins, and reenact the story of the brave Maccabee heroes of ancient times. This latest entry in the popular series is a rollicking holiday story, told in jaunty, bouncy rhyming couplets that scan very well and convey the happiness of the holiday, its traditions, and the warmth of family closeness. Several characters are referred to by nicknames that play off their species name—for instance, “Bary” for Baryonyx, “Stego” for Stegosaurus, and “Allo” for Allosaurus. Readers might have benefitted from backmatter identifying the dinosaurs by their full names. The vivid digital illustrations depict wonderfully energetic, expressive cartoonish dinos bursting with lively good cheer. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A high-spirited holiday charmer. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781728419213
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: Aug. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
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
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
