Astronomically goofy fun.
Agent Binky, a self-appointed Space Cat, undertakes another well-meaning but ludicrous mission.
Don’t be fooled by appearances—Binky isn’t your average suburban feline. He’s part of P.U.R.S.T. (Pets of the Universe Ready for Space Travel), a group of animals sworn to protect earthlings from extraterrestrial interlopers. As the book opens, we find Binky cuddling his beloved stuffed mouse, Ted, and reveling in tummy tickles and butt scratches from his loving, tan-skinned human family. Bliss is brief: “Citrus likealotus. Code name: Fruit Fly” soon invades. Springing into action, Binky carefully places Ted against a screen door—just steps from a banana peel—and begins to chase the “alien” fly. Surprise! Binky slips, launching himself and the screen into “outer space” (the backyard). The cat is swiftly brought back inside by Big Human, so quickly that Binky leaves Ted behind. It falls to Loo the fish to alert Binky that Ted’s still “trapped in outer space” beneath a “floating alien spaceship” (a hive of buzzing bees). Though Binky panics, the P.U.R.S.T. agents assemble, and the usual elaborate preparations and miscalculations ensue. A TV tie-in with the series Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe, this picture book features detailed color cartoons that underscore the characters’ grandiose efforts and farcical failures. Their comical ineptitude not only will elicit giggles—it will also allow young audiences to feel amazingly competent by comparison.
Astronomically goofy fun. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9781525312649
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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
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