A charming book whose message will be lost on all but adult fans of Jane Austen.
Mr. Darcy, a mallard wearing a top hat, learns to accept help from his friends.
The extremely cute Mr. Darcy lives in a fancy park and wants nothing to do with Lizzy and her sisters, ducks who live in an ordinary park. They encounter each other repeatedly, and Mr. Darcy ends every interaction flustered and fleeing, presumably because he either finds Lizzy too low-class to interact with or because he is embarrassed to admit he does not want to accept her invitation to tea. When Mr. Darcy gets stuck in a mud puddle, Lizzy, a horse named Bingley, a cow named Caroline, and a mouse named Maria conspire to help him despite his being too proud to ask. Mr. Darcy decides to go to tea, and in the end he feels “not alone at all”—a problem of his that was only hinted at previously. The moral finally becomes clear on the last page—sort of. Through Lizzy’s efforts, Mr. Darcy seems to have learned not to be so prideful and to accept help from his friends. The message and humor largely depend on prior literary knowledge, making for a bewildering story for children who presumably have not yet read Pride and Prejudice. The adorable and simply colored line drawings are the highlight. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A charming book whose message will be lost on all but adult fans of Jane Austen. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: May 3, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-913639-86-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: New Frontier Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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
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