A sweet choice for dog lovers, active children or anyone searching for a friend.
This effervescent boy-and-dog tale is worth making some room on the shelf.
The tale begins at the airport, where Eddie dreams of adventure. A white dog emerges from the carrier on the luggage carousel and introduces himself, and the adventures begin. Armed with sticks, boxes and their imaginations, they hunt for crocodiles and sail the seven seas. Eddie’s mother, being a more practical type, decides the dog cannot stay as they don’t have a big yard. Three times she sends the dog away, and three times he returns, riding up on a motor scooter, snorkeling along the shore and parachuting from an airplane. Will they be parted yet again? With warm illustrations, Brown focuses on Eddie and the dog, allowing the frame to chop off Eddie’s mom’s head, like the adults in a Peanuts cartoon. And there lies the crux of the story—the difference between being practical and passionate, between thinking with the head and playing with the heart. Children will see a warm story of a great dog and a red-haired little boy who have found a perfect friendship. Adults, if they listen closely, may see beyond the inconvenient realities of having a creative, active and persistent child. Unexpected adventures have their own unique rewards, like the glow of true happiness on an imaginative boy’s face.
A sweet choice for dog lovers, active children or anyone searching for a friend. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-62370-114-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: Dec. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
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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
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