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
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
A powerful affirmation for all dads—the good, the flawed, and those doing the best they can.
Dedicating his latest to “caregivers who give what they never got,” Caldecott Honor winner Robinson explores complicated feelings around fatherhood.
From the outset, the book appears to be a standard-issue Father’s Day offering, pairing brief, loving sentiments with images of animals. But it soon becomes clear that Robinson has crafted something much more complex. A frog with tadpoles nestled atop his back (“Dad is here”) is followed by an illustration of an owl leaving the nest (“Dad had to go away”). More contrasts are presented: a seahorse keeping his offspring safe in his pouch (“Dad holds on tight”), two shark pups swimming away from their frenzied-looking patriarch (“Dad need lots of space”). “Dad lets you down and makes mistakes” (a porcupine accidentally jabs his little one), but “Dad picks you up and makes you feel safe” (a lion snuggles his cub). And the human fathers we meet next—diverse in skin tone and ability—are equally multifaceted. Robinson outdoes himself, his bold and richly textured paint and collage artwork popping against the background. His artwork is rife with subtleties for careful readers—for instance, the look of uncertainty in the eyes of the gorilla father described as “strong.” For all its simplicity, this colorful book is laden with meaning, depicting fathers as vulnerable, imperfect, gentle, and empathetic—in a word, deeply human.
A powerful affirmation for all dads—the good, the flawed, and those doing the best they can. (more information on the animals presented) (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
ISBN: 9781250397041
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
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