A cute and clever autumnal outing with a metafictive twist.
Riffing on the double meaning of the word fall, this tale finds Humpty Dumpty reveling in autumn’s pleasures.
“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,” declares an unseen narrator as the giant egg, clad in rust-colored overalls and a yellow shirt, smiles sleepily. Humpty is soon wobbling, and the narrator continues: “Humpty Dumpty had a great…” As the page turns, little ones will grin when the expected tumble doesn’t occur. Instead, our hero gracefully hops off the wall to “take a closer peek at the foliage.” All the while, though, Humpty wonders if there isn’t something else he ought to be doing. But what? He heads home, and an encounter with a fiddling Cat (of “Hey Diddle Diddle” renown) reminds Humpty that it’s time to rake the leaves. The egg man returns to his wall, inspiring several more rounds of the now-familiar formula: the unfinished rhyme, a surprise ending that sees Humpty involved in a new autumnal task, and that nagging sensation that he should be doing something else. Moore and Cleland mine humor from the repetition of the gag as Humpty engages in fall activities such as apple-picking, joined by brown-skinned Jack and Jill, brown-skinned Miss Muffet, and light-skinned, red-haired Bo-Peep, among others. Simple cartoon art sets a wholesome tone and complements the text, which ends with a happy nod to wordplay. Children old enough to recognize nursery rhyme allusions will have a ball.
A cute and clever autumnal outing with a metafictive twist. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9781662527968
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.
After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780063436121
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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