by Amy Gibson ; illustrated by Jenn Harney ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2019
A raucous rumpus of royal persuasion.
A queen invites a host of animals to tea. Will they mind their manners?
In lively rhyme, Gibson follows a smattering of guests to the royal palace. An elephant, a giraffe, a moose, and more tromp inside, ready for tea. But they aren’t sure how to behave. Gibson cautions readers to not follow the animals’ instincts. “Sip your tea. Don’t lap it up. / No blowing bubbles in your cup. / Show courtesy. Don’t take too much, / but always take the one you touch.” The queen becomes increasingly appalled by the spills, sprays, and mayhem, but the young prince is delighted in watching others break the rules (ones that have surely been told to him many times). A few messages get muddled with the animal references: “Sit up straight. Don’t slump. Don’t slouch. / Lay your napkin on your pouch.” (A small opossum does have a napkin across her lap in the illustration but is also hanging upside down above the table with her head turned a full and alarming 180 degrees; this may leave readers wondering more than just exactly where their pouches are). Harney dresses the queen in furs and frills, with a high, white bouffant wig and pointed features. Her son is more cherubic, with a twinkle in his eye to show his penchant for mischief. They (the only two humans in evidence) both present white.
A raucous rumpus of royal persuasion. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 14, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-62979-304-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
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by Hoda Kotb ; illustrated by Chloe Dominique ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024
Pleasant enough but not particularly original.
Uplifting messages of positivity from the Today show anchor.
Hope springs eternal, so the saying goes. Kotb agrees, here delivering to children the cheery news that hope lives inside all of them and that whatever they might wish for can be theirs. All they need is a sunny outlook, and the possibilities for happy outcomes are virtually endless. Children’s dreams can be in-the-moment ones—like purple ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry—or more far-ranging ones, such as growing tall enough to reach that high shelf easily or for hair that’s long enough to braid. It doesn’t matter, the author reassures young readers. Your aspirations will be realized, so don’t give up on them—just keep believing in them and, most of all, in yourself. Throughout, Kotb calls hope a rainbow, a feeling, a gift, and a wish. Hope is “new friends you’ll find— / friends who are loving and funny and kind.” Hope is “practicing your heart out, letter by letter.” The book’s overarching theme is upbeat, but its bouncy rhyming text is clumsy. The child-appealing illustrations are colorful and lively, though they have a generic look. The cast of wide-eyed characters is racially diverse; some have visible disabilities.
Pleasant enough but not particularly original. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780593624128
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
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by Karma Wilson ; illustrated by Jane Chapman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 16, 2024
Cheery fun that will leave series fans “egg”-static.
In his latest outing, Bear and his pals go in search of eggs.
Bear “lumbers with his friends through the Strawberry Vale.” Raven finds a nest; climbing up, “The bear finds eggs!”: a refrain that appears throughout. Instead of eating the robin’s eggs, however, Bear leaves a gift of dried berries in the nest for the “soon-to-be-chicks.” Next, the friends find 10 mallard eggs (as bright blue as the robin’s), and Bear leaves sunflower seeds. Then the wail of Mama Meadowlark, whose bright yellow undercarriage strikes a warm golden note, leads them to promise to find her lost eggs. With his friends’ assistance, Bear finds one, and they decide to paint them “so they aren’t lost again.” Another is discovered, painted, and placed in Hare’s basket. After hours of persistent searching, Bear suddenly spots the remaining two eggs “in a small patch of clover.” Before they can return these eggs, the chicks hatch and rejoin their mother. Back at his lair, Bear, with his troupe, is visited by all 17 chicks and the robin, mallard, and meadowlark moms: “And the bear finds friends!” Though this sweet spring tale centers on finding and painting eggs, it makes no overt references to Easter. The soft green and blue acrylics, predictable rhymes, and rolling rhythm make this series installment another low-key natural read-aloud.
Cheery fun that will leave series fans “egg”-static. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781665936552
Page Count: 40
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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