An enjoyable feline tale that’s slightly hindered by pacing issues.
In this debut picture book, a cat comes up with a seemingly foolproof plan to catch a mouse.
In a classic tale of pursuit and near capture, a nameless feline finds his tranquil existence in an aging Victorian house rudely interrupted by the appearance of a mouse. As may be expected, he gives chase, dashing past a number of local village residents: an older man, a woman in a green dress, a fox, a baker, a jockey, and more. The race endures for a number of pages until the cat decides to approach the problem with smarts instead of the speed that has failed him thus far: “I’ll get that mouse if it’s the last thing I do, / I’ll think of a plan too good to be true!” He runs to the local cheese shop, whose wares he uses to fuel his massive trap for the mouse. But he doesn’t account for every possibility and he’s taken aback when his scheme goes awry. Lowles’ entertaining tale is told in bouncy, memorable rhymes that are augmented by her repetition of adjectives, like “It was a hot, hot day in an old, old house.” Coelho’s watercolor illustrations are exaggerated and cartoonish, reflecting the story’s wacky tone. But the action-packed plot is slow to arrive to the cat’s final plan, stealing some of the pleasure from these rhymes as they become repetitive in their descriptions of the townspeople, who are mostly white.
An enjoyable feline tale that’s slightly hindered by pacing issues.Pub Date: Nov. 30, 2023
ISBN: 978-1838759742
Page Count: 42
Publisher: Nightingale Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 29, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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