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BISCUIT IN THE GARDEN

Name: BISCUIT IN THE GARDEN
Author: Alyssa Satin Capucilli
ISBN: 978-0-06-193505-3

From the Biscuit series

by Alyssa Satin Capucilli ; illustrated by Pat Schories ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2013

The simplicity of the story makes it work, as it has since the beginning of the series: Dog. Birds. Garden. And, with...

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This book will not only make children want to garden, it will make them want a dog and a bird, too.

The Biscuit books are spectacularly good at getting children to read, but, surprisingly, they also teach grown-ups how to read them. They’re missing the usual cues that help adults make sense of a text. For example, there are no quotation marks. This makes passages of dialogue very accessible to beginning readers but a puzzle to their parents. In some scenes, most of the dialogue is either “Woof, woof!” or “Tweet! Tweet!” Readers can imagine that the book is teaching them to talk to animals. There are children’s books that are classics because they speak equally to children and adults. This book is not one of them. The plot is slight: Biscuit spills birdseed in the garden. Birds flock happily around him. But no matter what the parents think, children will want to read it again and again, and that makes it a classic for them.

The simplicity of the story makes it work, as it has since the beginning of the series: Dog. Birds. Garden. And, with patience, adults can learn to enjoy it as well . (Early reader. 3-5)

Pub Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-06-193505-3

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 26, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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MY SISTER, GOOSE
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli ; illustrated by Hyewon Yum

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WILLOW THE WHITE HOUSE CAT
by Jill Biden with Alyssa Satin Capucilli ; illustrated by Kate Berube

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THE LIBRARY FISH LEARNS TO READ
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli ; illustrated by Gladys Jose

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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)

Pub Date: April 1, 2025

ISBN: 9781250814388

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
MAYA'S BIG QUESTION
by Meena Harris ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez

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WHO'S IN CHARGE?
by Stephanie Allain & Jenny Klion ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez

- BOOK REVIEW
HATTIE HARMONY: OPENING NIGHT
by Elizabeth Olsen & Robbie Arnett ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez

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DAD

by Christian Robinson ; illustrated by Christian Robinson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2026

A powerful affirmation for all dads—the good, the flawed, and those doing the best they can.

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Dedicating his latest to “caregivers who give what they never got,” Caldecott Honor winner Robinson explores complicated feelings around fatherhood.

From the outset, the book appears to be a standard-issue Father’s Day offering, pairing brief, loving sentiments with images of animals. But it soon becomes clear that Robinson has crafted something much more complex. A frog with tadpoles nestled atop his back (“Dad is here”) is followed by an illustration of an owl leaving the nest (“Dad had to go away”). More contrasts are presented: a seahorse keeping his offspring safe in his pouch (“Dad holds on tight”), two shark pups swimming away from their frenzied-looking patriarch (“Dad need lots of space”). “Dad lets you down and makes mistakes” (a porcupine accidentally jabs his little one), but “Dad picks you up and makes you feel safe” (a lion snuggles his cub). And the human fathers we meet next—diverse in skin tone and ability—are equally multifaceted. Robinson outdoes himself, his bold and richly textured paint and collage artwork popping against the background. His artwork is rife with subtleties for careful readers—for instance, the look of uncertainty in the eyes of the gorilla father described as “strong.” For all its simplicity, this colorful book is laden with meaning, depicting fathers as vulnerable, imperfect, gentle, and empathetic—in a word, deeply human.

A powerful affirmation for all dads—the good, the flawed, and those doing the best they can. (more information on the animals presented) (Picture book. 3-5)