Sweet but lackluster attempts at social-emotional learning.
The animals of the Forever Friends Farm learn the value of sharing.
Introduced in Forever Kind (2025), supporting characters P.J. the goose and Winston the mouse take center stage as they explore the forest near their farm. Spying a spot where they and their pals can play, they clear away leaves and sticks. P.J. and Winston are eager to show their friends their new space, but when everyone heads over to the forest together, they’re surprised and disappointed to see the leaves and sticks again piled up in the middle of the glade. A group of red, tan, and brown squirrels appear, led by a purple squirrel named Pearl (like the necklace she wears), who explains that they use the leaves as beds. A sudden thunderstorm interrupts the discussion and sends everyone running to the barn. Grateful that the farm animals were willing to share their space, Pearl instantly decides to reciprocate and share the squirrels’ forest spot. The narrative arc is short, with the conflict resolved unrealistically speedily; P.J. and Winston never acknowledge that they did, however inadvertently, take over the squirrels’ space. The language is generally concise and phonetic (with exceptions like squirrels), if a bit bland. The uneven rhythm throughout is challenging, since natural accents are displaced, but occasional rhymes (sticks/fix; squirrel/Pearl) help. Full-color, Disney-esque images fill the pages; sporting cute accessories, the animals have large googly eyes, wide smiles, and quasi-human grips and gestures.
Sweet but lackluster attempts at social-emotional learning. (QR code for a song) (Early reader. 4-7)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781223188867
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paw Prints Publishing/Baker & Taylor
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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