A funny toddler-friendly picture book that provides some immediate excitement but not much lasting impact.
Wish extra hard and a unicorn might just appear in Lim’s second picture book.
According to the book, to summon a unicorn you must draw a heart and wish hard. You have to make sure that you concentrate, however, or you may end up with a farting unicorn instead. But once you have a unicorn, what do you do with it? The author tells us that if we don’t give the unicorn a purpose, this magical pet will be sad and confused. It may take some effort to get on good terms with your unicorn, but if successful, the interaction can go anywhere: They might show you their favorite things, introduce you to their family members, or do something else entirely. This unique book breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader as if they’re a participant in the story, prompting them to do things like “[p]inch your nose and count to 10!” when the unicorn farts. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t have much direction. Each individual activity, from the vacuum cleaner show and tell to the brief message about the importance of wearing a mask to prevent the spread of disease, seems too random, even for children. Shobaru’s illustrations, however, are bright, bold, and colorful enough to attract and hold the attention of the 2- and 3-year-olds who will enjoy the playful silliness of this story.
A funny toddler-friendly picture book that provides some immediate excitement but not much lasting impact.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9789811851032
Page Count: 46
Publisher: Wishing Book Company
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A charming continuation of a much-beloved series—and a clever tribute to the power of storytelling.
Scheherazade hasn’t got a thing on this sneaky mouse’s tale-telling talents.
The Gruffalo—the furry, yellow-eyed creature readers may remember from Donaldson and Scheffler’s classic work of the same name—and his daughter receive notice that Gruffalo Granny will soon be coming for a visit. This calls for a special meal, but what to serve? Ultimately, the Gruffalos decide to snatch up that same mouse who dodged their hungry tummies in previous books in the series. When the mouse is informed that they intend to pop him in a stew, he acquiesces but asks if he can tell a story first. As in The Thousand and One Nights, the mouse leaves his tale unfinished each evening; the Gruffalos let him live so they can hear what happens. By night, the mouse gnaws on the bars of his cage. Eventually, there’s a happy ending, not just for the mouse but for the Gruffalos as well (Granny has different tastes than expected). Donaldson’s gently rhyming text will have readers as rapt as the Gruffalo and his child. Featuring saturated colors and characters who are utterly sweet for all their fangs and claws, Scheffler’s artwork hasn’t changed a jot since the mouse and Gruffalo first met. References to the creators’ previous works provide delightful easter eggs for fans.
A charming continuation of a much-beloved series—and a clever tribute to the power of storytelling. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
ISBN: 9798217238736
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026
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