A sincere message strangely delivered.
A kid perseveres in his choice of reading material.
Stanley is excited to visit the bookmobile, but Ms. Christine, the usual librarian, is on vacation. A curmudgeonly old man with bushy eyebrows presides over the shelves instead, and he has particular ideas about who can read what. He believes that only girls should read books with female protagonists, only cats are allowed to read about cats, and robot books are only for robots—and he gives titles about each to their literate counterparts. He finally allows Stanley to check out a book about a peach (despite the main character not being a stone fruit), and the light-skinned, dark-haired boy reads happily next to his brown-skinned friend Valeria. When a confident dinosaur demands a book about ponies, the old man finally relents on his frustrating policy, and Stanley gains the courage to ask for what he wants. With a wacky plot despite its subdued tone and fantastical elements depicted in straightforward India ink, watercolor, pastel, and colored pencil, the story about stories centering a restrictive (and sexist) gatekeeper seems more finger-wagging for similarly minded adults than inspiring for children. Though the fun elements will make this an entertaining read-aloud, the story is both muddled and frustrating. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sincere message strangely delivered. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-984816-85-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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