Preschoolers can learn their letters while appreciating their own abilities to acquire and practice new skills.
An alphabet book features a plethora of animals unsuccessfully trying to learn a variety of tasks that are really suited for human mastery.
A mostly familiar menagerie arranged in alphabetical order illustrates the humorous futility of these creatures’ attempts. “Alligators can’t pick apples. / Bees can’t ride bicycles.” Each sentence accentuates the upper- and lowercase letter in colored type that contrasts with the otherwise all-black text. Many of the tasks depicted are usual daily chores such as washing dishes or everyday skills like tying shoes. Others offer opportunity for ridiculous illustration, such as “Cheetahs can’t chew bubble gum,” with a big cat all tied up in a large wad of the pink sticky stuff next to a gumball machine. A few unusual animals are introduced, such as the aquatic narwhals and two exotic birds: quetzals and xenopses. While all these animals can look hilarious trying to accomplish what is impossible, they all also are having lots of fun, which is the point. An addendum includes the entire cast of characters with factual information on what each can actually do and its significance. The implicit value of trying new things with a good attitude in order to learn is augmented by the silliness of the colorful cartoon drawings, which add a positive objective to the overall message. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50% of actual size.)
Preschoolers can learn their letters while appreciating their own abilities to acquire and practice new skills. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 29, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-18138-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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