Maybe not a perfect party, but a perfectly entertaining read; no special invitation needed.
A young boy with perfectionist tendencies throws a birthday party.
Patrick loves cooking; he’s meticulous in his slicing and dicing, and the meals he whips up for his parents and his brother, Russ, meet with lip-smacking approval. He’s just as careful with his preparations for his upcoming birthday party. Patrick gets precisely the decorations and party menu he wants, and Russ types up the invitations as Patrick dictates: Guests are requested to dress as their favorite food. But Patrick’s bewildered when nobody shows up to the party in food garb. Uh-oh. Instead of “favorite food,” Russ typed “favorite foot.” No wonder guests came as socks, skates, and “sparkly toenails.” For Patrick, the best part of the party is when it finally ends. Afterward, Dad compliments the tea Patrick blended; over the next year, Patrick lovingly works on the perfect pot of tea. Next year’s party theme? A tea party! Guests are invited “to wear a fancy hat.” Will they? Hint: Russ makes another typo. Children will laugh over the hilarious ending; indeed, they’ll giggle their way through this uproarious book—and perhaps realize that learning to be a bit flexible can be a lot of fun. The colorful illustrations are a dynamic hoot, and the costumes will spark great ideas. Plump, curly-haired Patrick and his family are brown-skinned; note his spiffy green-and-yellow-striped eyeglasses. Guests are racially diverse; one uses a wheelchair.
Maybe not a perfect party, but a perfectly entertaining read; no special invitation needed. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 11, 2024
ISBN: 9781499814460
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child...
Imani endures the insults heaped upon her by the other village children, but she never gives up her dreams.
The Masai girl is tiny compared to the other children, but she is full of imagination and perseverance. Luckily, she has a mother who believes in her and tells her stories that will fuel that imagination. Mama tells her about the moon goddess, Olapa, who wins over the sun god. She tells Imani about Anansi, the trickster spider who vanquishes a larger snake. (Troublingly, the fact that Anansi is a West African figure, not of the Masai, goes unaddressed in both text and author’s note.) Inspired, the tiny girl tries to find new ways to achieve her dream: to touch the moon. One day, after crashing to the ground yet again when her leafy wings fail, she is ready to forget her hopes. That night, she witnesses the adumu, the special warriors’ jumping dance. Imani wakes the next morning, determined to jump to the moon. After jumping all day, she reaches the moon, meets Olapa and receives a special present from the goddess, a small moon rock. Now she becomes the storyteller when she relates her adventure to Mama. The watercolor-and-graphite illustrations have been enhanced digitally, and the night scenes of storytelling and fantasy with their glowing stars and moons have a more powerful impact than the daytime scenes, with their blander colors.
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child to be admired. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-934133-57-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mackinac Island Press
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
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