Hats off!
House’s roof is blown off in a storm, but help arrives in many forms.
One day, “a big, blustery gust of wind” steals House’s “hat” (roof). A nearby oak tree stretches her limbs and leaves over House, but more wind WOOSHes away the attempted protection. Birds, squirrels, and mice try to help, but the wind whisks their replacement roof away, too. Human neighbors arrive to help, securing a tarp over House. The tarp protects the neighbors inside House during a rainstorm, after which a rainbow appears and roofers arrive to install a permanent roof, allowing House to “feel like myself” again. House’s front resembles a face, with windows on either side of a door with a small window in it; these features function as eyes and a mouth, and window treatments provide plenty of variety in expression (to great comic effect on the final page, when House eyes storm clouds and warns, “Don’t even think about it”). House’s inhabitant has brown skin and a long dark braid; neighbors and roofers appear to be a diverse bunch in terms of age, gender, and ethnicity. Centering a house instead of a human as the main character provides a bit of distance and humor to a potentially scary topic, but House expresses feelings, too. The color palette reinforces this tone: House is a cheery yellow with teal trim, the oak tree’s leaves are rust-orange, and the storm clouds and gusts of wind are a steely blue-gray.
Hats off! (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2024
ISBN: 9780593615775
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
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
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world.
Be a “somebody” who makes a difference!
A Black child witnesses various transgressions over the course of a day. Noticing trash on the walk to the bus stop, the young narrator thinks, “Somebody should do something about that.” Two students push their way ahead of everyone else in order to get good seats on the school bus, prompting the child to muse, “Somebody should speak up about that.” Throughout the day, the child notices examples of bullying and unfairness. These seemingly minor infractions start mounting. Finally, when the protagonist’s teacher tells the students that it’s snack time, the narrator notices that some students don’t have anything to eat. Instead of wishing for a “somebody,” the perceptive pupil realizes, “I am Somebody” and shares food with the others. The epiphany doesn’t stop there. When the narrator arrives home and notices there are toys everywhere but Mom is on a work call, the child responds to Mom’s request for help by cleaning up the mess. Accompanied by simple yet expressive illustrations, this is a loving and much-needed story that encourages kids to make a difference; pair it with Joshunda Sanders’ I Can Write the World (2019), illustrated by Charly Palmer. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 27, 2023
ISBN: 9780762480517
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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