Merry and bright.
The joy of giving permeates Lucy’s first Christmas with her unicorn in this series third after A New Friend for Sparkle (2017).
Sparkle is back and is still more goatlike than equine, but little Lucy thinks he’s just perfect. She’s excited to teach him all about Christmas and explains that “best of all, it means Christmas PRESENTS! Lots and lots of PRESENTS!” Lucy gives Sparkle an allowance and her wish list so he can get gifts for her, and then she heads off to buy him presents. Readers are privy to the little unicorn’s failure to follow through on the task and then to how Lucy tirelessly gives him the benefit of the doubt. But when Sparkle knocks over the Christmas tree and eats the stockings, Lucy loses her temper. Her outburst makes Sparkle cry “big, magical rainbow unicorn tears.” Lucy feels terrible and apologizes, acknowledging that Sparkle “didn’t mean to hurt [her] feelings.” And then, lo and behold, there is a gift under the tree from Sparkle—a tiny golden box that on a wordless spread opens to release a rainbow and a flight of butterflies, birds, and (of course) sparkles and hearts. Readers will flip back to the vignettes that depict Sparkle failing to shop and reassess their lack of faith. Lucy is a little girl of color with light brown skin and springy black hair.
Merry and bright. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-374-30813-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.
Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!
Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9781454999621
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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