This silly story turns convention on its head, and kids who get the joke will surely giggle.
Hordes of puppies take over the town of Strictville, and no one knows how to react.
Strictville has a very bold motto: “All Work and No Play Makes for a Great Day!” So when a tiny puppy wanders into town, it is seen as a menace. No cuteness or play allowed! But things grow worse when more and more puppies come. The dark-skinned, female mayor with fantastic cat-eye glasses shouts, “We must get rid of these adorable creatures!” The townsfolk try everything: throwing sticks (the puppies just bring them back), chasing them (the puppies love the game), and feeding them (that is when the tail-wagging starts). Ultimately, they decide the safest place is indoors, and everyone runs home. Until the tiniest puppy, with the biggest eyes, catches the attention of a brown-skinned boy named Teddy. The entire multiracial town peers out in horror from their windows while Teddy dares to shake the pup’s tiny, fuzzy paw. It is…delightful! Strictville becomes not so strict after all. Smith’s cartoonish people pair well with the mock mass hysteria of a puppy invasion, her tidy streetscapes teeming with puppies appropriately Twilight Zone–esque. Hints of a new cute creature coming to town just may shake things up again.
This silly story turns convention on its head, and kids who get the joke will surely giggle. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-544-99917-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
Lively, funny, and child-friendly.
A young girl is upset when her mother defers her promises.
When Ranya asks her mother if they can go to the park, Mama replies, “Insha’Allah.” Ranya fumes—that’s what her parents always say when they mean no! Mama explains that the sky’s looking overcast and adds that “insha’Allah“ means “God willing.” People say it when they hope for something that they aren’t sure will happen: “Sometimes Allah has other plans.” Ranya pries a little more: Is that why they didn’t bake cookies last night? And why her sleepover with her friend Jayda fell through? And why her parents have never taken her to Disneyland? Mama replies that it was getting too late to bake and that Jayda’s grandmother became sick, but she promises to take Ranya to Disneyland before she turns 18…insha’Allah. Ranya negotiates with her mother, who agrees that they can bake cookies later and Ranya can plan another sleepover. Mama notices the weather has improved and says they can go to the park. But first, she asks Ranya to clean up her toys. Ranya impishly replies, “Insha’Allah!” This is a sweet introduction to an expression often used in Muslim and Arabic-speaking communities. The playful banter between mother and daughter forms the heart of the story. Ranya and Mama are illustrated with warm brown skin tones; theirs is a diverse neighborhood. Homey illustrations in bold primary colors create a sense of coziness.
Lively, funny, and child-friendly. (authors’ note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 14, 2024
ISBN: 9780823454419
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s a lucky thing indeed that this book is as great a joy to read aloud as it is.
One duck’s luck is another wolf’s disaster in this tale of tragedy averted.
Right from the start, Susan is convinced that she is by far the unluckiest of ducks, since the roller skates she ordered turned out to be two sizes too big. Just at that moment, however, a well-dressed wolf appears at her door, informing her that she’s the winner of a big beautiful soup pot. And so it goes: Each time Susan feels that her luck’s run out, the wolf reappears with some new (and edible) soup-related prize. Long before poor Susan does, kids will realize the price of the wolf’s gifts. Still, when the finale arrives, it turns out that each “unlucky” thing to happen to Susan helps her to survive another day. Sharp-eyed readers may notice a tiny bug responsible for at least two of Susan’s missing items, also aiding in her deliverance from the wolf’s hungry maw. The pure clean lines and limited palette lend a distinctly ’50s vibe to the proceedings, while the text makes for a charming storytime. Meanwhile, the narrative has shades of Keiko Kasza’s My Lucky Day (2003) and Mo Willems’ That Is NOT a Good Idea (2013). Few may be surprised by the resolution, but the familiarity is much of the story’s charm.
It’s a lucky thing indeed that this book is as great a joy to read aloud as it is. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9780593649770
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
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