Truck mavens will “fall” for this seasonal homage.
That ever-obliging truck returns.
This time, Little Red and driver Katie, introduced in the Christmas-themed Little Red (2023), help friends on a fall day. As in the earlier offering, six vehicles, each of a different type and color, require the immediate assistance of Little Red and pale-skinned Katie. Each urgent entreaty—“Help, Little Red, help!”—is enclosed within a speech bubble whose color matches that of the requesting truck and the color of something its respective driver is wearing, thus helping little ones hone color-recognition skills. When Little Red and Katie are done, the satisfied customers drive off with a hearty onomatopoeic “Honk, honk! Beep, beep!” After the first truck is repaired, readers are told that the leaves “[come] down.” After the second time, they come “down and down.” Each time, another down is added, enhancing children’s understanding of counting, numbers, and patterns. Finally, a 90-degree page turn reveals what’s been going on at Shady Acre Farm, where everyone’s congregated: Racially diverse neighborhood kids have erected a giant scarecrow with a jack-o’-lantern face. When it’s lit, everyone shouts, “BOO-RAY!” The word is set in rainbow hues—the trucks’ cumulative colors. Not only an appealing tribute to fall, this sweet, simple story is about friendly cooperation and kindness. Delightful digital illustrations pay vivid homage to seasonal foliage, colors, and Halloween: Note also several jack-o’-lanterns and mildly spooky images.
Truck mavens will “fall” for this seasonal homage. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780316571647
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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