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STERLING, BEST DOG EVER

Name: STERLING, BEST DOG EVER
Author: Aidan Cassie
ISBN: 978-0-374-30614-4

by Aidan Cassie ; illustrated by Aidan Cassie ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 10, 2018

This well-meaning, amusing story is too much premise and not enough execution.

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Is Sterling a dog…or a fork? Or a whisk? Or a lamp?

Sterling just wants to find a home and his forever family. When he sneaks into the Butlery Cutlery Company truck and gets delivered along with a bunch of forks to the Gilbert family, they decide to keep him. Sterling is determined to be the best fork ever! But when he notices that this middle-class mixed-race family can eat a whole meal “with just their fingers,” he worries they don’t need forks. The young, dog-loving girl of the house tries her best to help him be his doggy self, but Sterling cannot lose the idea he must be something else. Colorful, vibrant, and amusing illustrations carry the story, depicting a happy, loving family, with expressive faces on the humans as well as on the small dachshund Sterling. The dark-haired, brown-skinned mother is shown occasionally wearing a salwar kameez, pointing to South Asian heritage. Authentic touches, such as the light-haired, light-skinned father’s rumpled clothes and multiple pictures of dogs above the young girl’s bed, make the family and house feel friendly and comfortable. This silly story has an important lesson about just being yourself, but it gets hung up in Sterling’s shenanigans—the idea of a dog trying to be a fork is just too absurd to move beyond.

This well-meaning, amusing story is too much premise and not enough execution. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: July 10, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-374-30614-4

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WORD FOR FRIEND
by Aidan Cassie ; illustrated by Aidan Cassie

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE JUNIPER MAKES IT BIG
by Aidan Cassie ; illustrated by Aidan Cassie

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IT'S MY BIRD-DAY!

From the Pigeon series

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2026

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.

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Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!

Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 31, 2026

ISBN: 9781454999621

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Union Square Kids

Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MONSTER AND PUPPET SHOW!
by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci ; illustrated by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PIGEON WON'T COUNT TO 10!
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

- BOOK REVIEW
WILL THE PIGEON GRADUATE?
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

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HEDGEHOGS DON'T WEAR UNDERWEAR

by Marissa Valdez ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2025

Sure to have little ones giggling.

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Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”

Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.

Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)