Although a bit slim on story, still a good choice for mischievous preschoolers with an interest in the martial arts.
Dressed in black and ready for action, a young ninja shows off his skills—which would be more impressive if he did not initially use them to antagonize.
Tuell uses chopped (forgive the pun) rhyming phrases perfect for young ears and new readers as a redheaded ninja practices his stealthy skills: “Hip, hop, slide… / …flip, flop, kick. // Little Ninja, / very quick.” But a yellow-haired younger brother is the unhappy target of all the ninja’s nefarious missions. His balloon is taken away, his chocolate-chip cookie stolen and his castle of building blocks knocked down. Finally, a frustrated cry of “NINJA, NINJA, / WOULD YOU STOP?” results in an unconvincingly instantaneous change of heart. The following spread shows the siblings happily rebuilding. It seems the story has come to a close, but a page turn reveals the ninja playing outside and about to dive into a pile of autumn leaves—where a pair of pale blue eyes peeks out. With his triumphant ambush of the ninja, the younger brother clearly enjoys the comeuppance. All ends well as the final pages show both brothers planning and scheming as a “NINJA TEAM!” Bright primary hues add an energetic yet retro feel to Carpenter’s illustrations.
Although a bit slim on story, still a good choice for mischievous preschoolers with an interest in the martial arts. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1027-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
It’s a bit hard to dance, or count, to this beat.
Dinos that love to move and groove get children counting from one to 10—and perhaps moving to the beat.
Beginning with a solo bop by a female dino (she has eyelashes, doncha know), the dinosaur dance party begins. Each turn of the page adds another dino and a change in the dance genre: waltz, country line dancing, disco, limbo, square dancing, hip-hop, and swing. As the party would be incomplete without the moonwalk, the T. Rex does the honors…and once they are beyond their initial panic at his appearance, the onlookers cheer wildly. The repeated refrain on each spread allows for audience participation, though it doesn’t easily trip off the tongue: “They hear a swish. / What’s this? / One more? / One more dino on the floor.” Some of the prehistoric beasts are easily identifiable—pterodactyl, ankylosaurus, triceratops—but others will be known only to the dino-obsessed; none are identified, other than T-Rex. Packed spreads filled with psychedelically colored dinos sporting blocks of color, stripes, or polka dots (and infectious looks of joy) make identification even more difficult, to say nothing of counting them. Indeed, this fails as a counting primer: there are extra animals (and sometimes a grumpy T-Rex) in the backgrounds, and the next dino to join the party pokes its head into the frame on the page before. Besides all that, most kids won’t get the dance references.
It’s a bit hard to dance, or count, to this beat. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8075-1598-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug.
What to do when you’re a prickly animal hankering for a hug? Why, find another misfit animal also searching for an embrace!
Sweet but “tricky to hug” little Hedgehog is down in the dumps. Wandering the forest, Hedgehog begs different animals for hugs, but each rejects them. Readers will giggle at their panicked excuses—an evasive squirrel must suddenly count its three measly acorns; a magpie begins a drawn-out song—but will also be indignant on poor hedgehog’s behalf. Hedgehog has the appealingly pink-cheeked softness typical of Dunbar’s art, and the gentle watercolors are nonthreatening, though she also captures the animals’ genuine concern about being poked. A wise owl counsels the dejected hedgehog that while the prickles may frighten some, “there’s someone for everyone.” That’s when Hedgehog spots a similarly lonely tortoise, rejected due to its “very hard” shell but perfectly matched for a spiky new friend. They race toward each other until the glorious meeting, marked with swoony peach swirls and overjoyed grins. At this point, readers flip the book to hear the same gloomy tale from the tortoise’s perspective until it again culminates in that joyous hug, a book turn that’s made a pleasure with thick creamy paper and solid binding.
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-571-34875-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
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