Fortitude and phonics make failure wildly funny.
A paean to perseverance, featuring almost every word one can make with the phoneme -ake.
Big-eyed Blake the snake holds readers’ attention—and much more. Using the many muscular coils on his exceptionally long body, he’s adept at flicking light switches, cracking eggs, and beating batter—except when he’s not, and everything crashes to the floor. But no matter: “Let’s try that again!” And again and again. The outcome may be frustrating, but Blake isn’t deterred. As he meticulously pipes the word happy on another cake, an “EARTHQUAKE!” knocks everything over. Never mind! The next illustration sees Blake peering into the oven to see a beautifully rising confection. But as Blake attempts to deliver the cake (“Snakes can skate?!”), an unexpected encounter with a family of ducks (“BRAKE! BRAKE!”) leads to disaster. Blake prepares other cakes that also meet with disaster, thanks to an ill-placed “rake” and a tumble into the “lake.” Yes, these mishaps bring “heartache,” but readers will giggle as Blake, looking a mite peeved but mostly determined, doggedly produces yet another iteration. Finally an unscathed masterpiece survives, and Blake is able to celebrate his friend Drake’s birthday. The tale ends with Blake considering other career options: director (“Let’s try another take!”), cook (“Mastering the best milkshake!”), and stand-up comic (“Laugh with Blake till your belly aches!”). Digital watercolors give Blake attractive, detailed human surroundings (like the baking bowls piling up in the sink) and easily readable emotions thanks to his wildly expressive eyebrows.
Fortitude and phonics make failure wildly funny. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780593621745
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end.
Something is preventing Owl from falling asleep.
Owl leans back against his white pillow and headboard. “Squeek!” says something underneath the bed. Owl’s never heard that sound before, so he fastens his pink bathrobe and answers the front door. Nobody. It must be the wind; back to bed. Bidding himself goodnight, he climbs into bed—and hears the noise again. Time after time, he pops out of bed seeking the squeaker. Is it in the cupboard? He empties the shelves. Under the floor? He pulls up his floorboards. As Owl’s actions ratchet up—he destroys the roof and smashes the walls, all in search of the squeak—so does his anxiety. Not until he hunkers down in bed under the night sky (his bed is now outdoors, because the house’s roof and walls are gone), frantically clutching his pillow, does he see what readers have seen all along: a small, gray mouse. In simple illustrations with black outlines, textured coloring, and foreshortened perspective, Pizzoli plays mischievously with mouse placement. Sometimes the mouse is behind Owl or just out of his sightline; other times, the mouse is on a solid, orange-colored page across the spread from Owl, which removes him from Owl’s scene in a rather postmodern manner. Is the mouse toying with Owl? Who knows?
A funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 19, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-1275-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
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