An amusing exploration of how opposite personalities can learn to appreciate their unique relationship.
Hudson and Tallulah, dog and cat (respectively) neighbors and archenemies, find they can have some companionable moments.
Tallulah happily chases a bluebird in her yard, hears loud barking, climbs atop the property’s dividing fence, and sees Hudson busily digging a hole under the fence. “WHAT are you doing?” she demands. Hudson replies, “I’m busting out. Fences keep me trapped.” Tallulah disagrees: “Fences keep us safe.” But her curiosity wins the day, and she follows him down the block, where Hudson begins to explore an overfilled garbage can he calls a breakfast “feast.” Tallulah counters, “Feast? It’s garbage.” Then she begins to chase a butterfly. At the dog park Hudson is enthusiastically welcomed and Tallulah is uproariously rejected. “Why would anyone want a dog for a friend?” bemoans Tallulah, the white space above her crammed full of all-caps iterations of cat and bark. Charming cartoons convey the nearly wordless story augmented with dialogue between the two rivals. Hudson’s feisty, adventurous, fun-loving attitude parallels Tallulah’s elegant, proper persona, with the two arguing constantly until the opportunity to really enjoy something together presents itself via some play in a large bird-filled puddle. The frenemies soften their squabbling and end up side by side outside their respective yards. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50% of actual size.)
An amusing exploration of how opposite personalities can learn to appreciate their unique relationship. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5420-0668-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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