Mabel’s story may be a hit in the Hamptons, but will it play in Peoria? Maybe not.
A pampered French bulldog named Mabel leads a life of misbehavior in this celebrity vehicle.
Mabel lives in a mansion in the Hamptons with a swimming pool and her own bedroom. She narrates her story with a worldly-wise and wisecracking voice, a sophisticated pooch always looking for something to get up to. Her mischievous antics are creative and entertaining, such as taking a golf cart for a joy ride and adding her own painted details to a huge, expensive portrait. The climax of Mabel’s many misdeeds finds her crashing her owners’ fancy dinner party around the pool. There, she eats too much human food, leading to a doggy digestive gas attack that clears the house. The evening ends with Mabel in bed in between her “parents,” who reassure her of their unconditional love. The concept and illustrations work well together, but the story is long, plodding, and filled with adult-level quips and jokes that will fly over the heads of most children. One of these comments about Mabel’s French ancestry is an old cultural stereotype that doesn’t belong in the 21st century: “Maybe it’s the French in me, but I do not like to bathe. Not one bit.” Digitally produced, cartoon-style illustrations and a supersized format create a larger-than-life aura for Mabel’s debut (a sequel is already in the works), but her story is frantic, not funny.
Mabel’s story may be a hit in the Hamptons, but will it play in Peoria? Maybe not. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4814-3022-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015
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
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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