Tinkling piano music turns to a melodramatic strain on the audio, and white words flash on a black page of the accompanying book like a silent movie on the silver screen. “What luck!” Mo Willems declares with a dastardly laugh as he portrays a pseudo-gentlemanly fox who is luring a wide-eyed hen home for dinner. Cher Willems affects the naïve air of his potential victim. “Sure!” she says when invited for a walk in the woods. A chorus of children’s voices repeats the yellow chicks’ warning: “That is not a good idea!” Cher acts flirtatious and clueless, making Mo’s oily manner clearer. Then comes a sudden switch. Cher’s voice turns shrewish as she reveals that SHE’S the villainous diner, not the potential dinner. The drama and timing of the audio, written words, and illustrations combine for a triple treat.
(Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2015
Duration: 6 mins
Publisher: Weston Woods Studios
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ladji’s appealing performance gives an extra spark as both girl and horse rise from those mythical ashes.
Emma Ladji brings empathy and authenticity to this tale of a kid whose life blows up when her dad cheats with her best friend’s mom. Harper and her mom move to a new town and into a teeny house next to a barn. Although Harper has no particular interest in horses, that changes when a kill truck dumps a neglected, almost-dead horse in her yard. As Harper finds a new purpose in saving her horse—whom she names Phoenix, of course—she connects with her barn neighbors. Ladji has fun creating voices for the quirky and diverse group—fiery little Emma, Puerto Rican Dante, and Night, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns.
Ladji’s appealing performance gives an extra spark as both girl and horse rise from those mythical ashes. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs, 55 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217280902
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
Gosage delivers these scientifically sound oceanic anecdotes with an easy-listening appeal.
Narrator Ellie Gosage speaks to middle-grade listeners as a friend, her tone changing with each ocean-themed topic. Gosage’s conversational narration reflects the book’s plain language. Her tone ranges from amused, as in “Blubber Blunder,” about a town’s attempt to destroy an 8-ton whale carcass with a half-ton of dynamite, to impressed, as in “The (Dog’s) Nose Knows,” about one dog’s unique ability to locate floating whale poop from a half-mile away while on a boat. (The excrement is used to capture DNA information.) In a chapter about a grieving orca, Gosage’s narration is especially soulful.
Gosage delivers these scientifically sound oceanic anecdotes with an easy-listening appeal. (10-12)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Duration: 3 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217172764
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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