Biscuit’s (Biscuit Goes to School, p. 877, etc.) back and this time he’s celebrating Hanukkah. (Last year he celebrated Christmas, but that’s okay—lots of puppies celebrate both.) The children participate in various holiday activities—playing dreidel, making beeswax candles, eating latkes, while Biscuit engages in related naughty activities revealed by lifting a flap on the right side of the page. After getting into the jelly donuts, overturning the apples, and eating chocolate gelt, Biscuit redeems himself by offering his host, an enormous dog that sometimes looks like an enormous cat, a gift of treats. Little ones will enjoy lifting the flaps, while older children may attempt this as an easy reader. A pleasant addition to the Biscuit canon. (Picture book. 1-5)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-694-01523-3
Page Count: 20
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sure to have little ones giggling.
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
A sweet, compelling tale of mother-child love.
After Baby sloth takes a tumble, he notices the nighttime life around him while waiting for his mama to retrieve him.
Baby sloth loves snuggling close with his mother up high in the trees as the moon looms overhead. But when he falls from the tree, he’s frightened. To calm and distract him as she makes her way down to get him, Mama points out the night’s beautiful sights: bright yellow flowers, wriggling pink worms, and brilliant blue moths. When Mama and Baby sloth are together again at last, all the colors erupt together, a symbolic celebration of the sloths’ love and reunion. Brian Cronin expertly plays with shadow and light, the moon a guiding light. The shadowy, complex darkness results in a backdrop perfectly paired with the splashy hues of the night life. Even Mama herself blends into the trees and darkness, while Baby’s peachy fur and pink nose draw readers’ eye and focus. For much of the book, Mama is obscured from readers, just as she is from Baby after his fall. For such concise writing, the book has many layers of story, which means that there’s plenty for readers of all ages to take from its pages.
A sweet, compelling tale of mother-child love. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: April 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780593698204
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Rocky Pond Books/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
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