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MIXED

Name: MIXED
Author: Arree Chung
ISBN: 978-1-250-14273-3

A COLORFUL STORY

by Arree Chung ; illustrated by Arree Chung ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 3, 2018

A colorful story about celebrating difference as complementary and transformative.

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Beginning with endpapers full of colorful, distinctive faces in primary hues, Chung presents the heavy issue of discrimination using vivid colors and precise text.

“In the beginning, there were three colors:” loud reds, bright yellows, and laid-back blues. But initial urban harmony soon gives way to suspicion and competition about which is the best color, leading to high brick walls and color-specific isolation. The story could end there and already be a timely response to current events. However, one day a Yellow and a Blue “notice” each other and realize their happiness lies in each other’s distinct characteristics. Their relationship grows, and other colors take note, reacting negatively at first. Undeterred, the two “mix” (depicted as a wedding) and create a new color—Green—who embodies bits of each of her parents (“bright like Yellow and calm like Blue”) but is also “a color all her own.” Suddenly other Reds, Blues, and Yellows rediscover one another, too, and begin to mix, transforming the primarily black-and-white urban landscape, which is drawn in a graphic, eye-catching style. This book’s simple and straightforward approach to confronting discrimination is age-appropriate without trivializing difficult, hurtful situations, offering children and adults excellent moments for discussion and personal growth. Mixed-race readers, especially, may appreciate the author’s presentation of mixed-color characters as instruments of change and hope.

A colorful story about celebrating difference as complementary and transformative. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: July 3, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-250-14273-3

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: April 24, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
DON'T CAUSE TROUBLE
by Arree Chung ; illustrated by Arree Chung

- BOOK REVIEW
REMIXED
by Arree Chung ; illustrated by Arree Chung

- BOOK REVIEW
NINJA CLAUS!
by Arree Chung ; illustrated by Arree Chung

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THE PUMPKIN THIEF

From the Leaf Thief series

by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2026

More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.

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Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.

Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.

More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: July 28, 2026

ISBN: 9781464268076

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SUN THIEF
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SNOW THIEF
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BISON AND THE BUTTERFLY
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK LOST AND FOUND

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2026

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.

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Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.

After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)