Charming, quirky, and sweet—this one contains the magical ingredients for an absorbing read.
The apprentice-magician puppies confront an exciting new challenge.
Now that Hocus and Pocus have adjusted to their forever home, their ruby-haired, brown-skinned witch caregiver, Jinx, decides to help them get to know their new neighborhood. They plan a “potion drop”—a sort of reverse trick-or-treating activity. They go door to door giving out helpful mixtures and in return receive pickles, pies, socks, and firewood; their fellow witches even give them some spells. Extroverted Hocus is having a great time, but shy Pocus feels overwhelmed. When they learn that the wizard next door is having trouble with his new pet—a dragon named Bye-Bye who keeps setting things on fire—Pocus is naturally terrified, so the pups try to make “a not-scary spell,” with an incantation involving some decidedly un-scary words, like zoomies and lap naps. Pocus feels braver, but when the pups attempt to visit Bye-Bye, they find the dragon cowering in a cave. Bye-Bye’s also anxious—and unfortunately doesn’t speak dog. Hijinks, including shape-shifting, ensue as Hocus tries out another potion in an attempt to communicate with Bye-Bye. Just as engaging as its predecessor, this tale artfully blends magic and whimsy. Pocus’ trajectory from fearful to more confident—though still a bit uncertain—is both relatable and realistic. Clear, bright illustrations complement the text well; Hocus’ gift for prediction should prophecy success for the series.
Charming, quirky, and sweet—this one contains the magical ingredients for an absorbing read. (Chapter book. 5-8)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781536224931
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
A light dose of natural history, with occasional “EWWW!” for flavor
Having surveyed worms, spiders, flies, and head lice, Gravel continues her Disgusting Critters series with a quick hop through toad fact and fancy.
The facts are briefly presented in a hand-lettered–style typeface frequently interrupted by visually emphatic interjections (“TOXIN,” “PREY,” “EWWW!”). These are, as usual, paired to simply drawn cartoons with comments and punch lines in dialogue balloons. After casting glances at the common South American ancestor of frogs and toads, and at such exotic species as the Emei mustache toad (“Hey ladies!”), Gravel focuses on the common toad, Bufo bufo. Using feminine pronouns throughout, she describes diet and egg-laying, defense mechanisms, “warts,” development from tadpole to adult, and of course how toads shed and eat their skins. Noting that global warming and habitat destruction have rendered some species endangered or extinct, she closes with a plea and, harking back to those South American origins, an image of an outsized toad, arm in arm with a dark-skinned lad (in a track suit), waving goodbye: “Hasta la vista!”
A light dose of natural history, with occasional “EWWW!” for flavor . (Informational picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-77049-667-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2016
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
