Not quite “a megaton of fun” but enjoyable enough.
An all-night cat disco in the streets—what could go wrong?
It’s midnight, and something “covered in glitter from head to toe” is slinking out the window of an ornate townhouse: Sam Francisco, a flamboyant orange cat with a flashy roster of friends, is throwing a DIY disco in the streets. Clad in a David Bowie–inspired outfit, Sam serves as resident DJ while his pals “breakdance, can-can, hip-hop, headbang” to the beat. Buzzkill Bill, a tan-skinned neighbor with a classically villainous countenance, is rudely awakened by the ruckus and instructs his dogs to break up the party. Instead, the dogs get swept up in the music. Bill proceeds to call pest control, the fire department, and the police—predictably, each subsequently joins the revelers. Out of options, Bill pulls the plug on Sam’s audio equipment and brings the music to a silent halt. Is the party over? Overturning some trash cans, Sam creates a drum set and keeps the fun alive: “The bins were even louder than the DJ set. Everyone was breaking out their best moves yet.” Paired with illustrator Talib’s busy, whimsical pictures, the rhyming text and joyful tumult of Sam’s late-night jamboree may entertain some readers. Others may not find enough to grab them in this rather formulaic story. Human characters are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not quite “a megaton of fun” but enjoyable enough. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9781773218212
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.
A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
Echoes of Runaway Bunny color this exchange between a bath-averse piglet and his patient mother. Using a strategy that would probably be a nonstarter in real life, the mother deflects her stubborn offspring’s string of bath-free occupational conceits with appeals to reason: “Pirates NEVER EVER take baths!” “Pirates don’t get seasick either. But you do.” “Yeesh. I’m an astronaut, okay?” “Well, it is hard to bathe in zero gravity. It’s hard to poop and pee in zero gravity too!” And so on, until Mom’s enticing promise of treasure in the deep sea persuades her little Treasure Hunter to take a dive. Chunky figures surrounded by lots of bright white space in Segal’s minimally detailed watercolors keep the visuals as simple as the plotline. The language isn’t quite as basic, though, and as it rendered entirely in dialogue—Mother Pig’s lines are italicized—adult readers will have to work hard at their vocal characterizations for it to make any sense. Moreover, younger audiences (any audiences, come to that) may wonder what the piggy’s watery closing “EUREKA!!!” is all about too. Not particularly persuasive, but this might coax a few young porkers to get their trotters into the tub. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25425-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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