bookshelf

HENRY GOES SKATING

Name: HENRY GOES SKATING
Author: B.B. Bourne
ISBN: 978-0-06-195821-2

From the Everything Goes series

by B.B. Bourne illustrated by Simon Abbott ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2012

Amiable and encouraging, and too innocent to give even a thought to snow stopping something in its tracks: school.

bookshelf

Almost everything goes in this latest installment of the Everything Goes early-reader series based on the picture-book series of the same name by Brian Biggs.

It’s snowing, so when a bus gets stuck on an icy road, it is going to have to wait for the tow truck to come. Otherwise, everything does tootle along in this typically mild and kindly outing, an earliest of early readers for those just starting to get their teeth into reading. There is plenty of necessary repetition in the simple text: “ ‘Look, Henry. Horses!’ says Henry’s mom. ‘Police horses,’ says Henry. ‘One is brown and one is white. And one is brown and white.’ ” It combines with enough unusual words (taxis, Zamboni) and constructions (such as the alternating use of “Henry says” and “says Henry”) to make readers work for the prize of the last page. But as is also typical of these books, the illustrations are in the driver’s seat, literally and figuratively. The book is chockablock with vehicles, as Henry and his parents take a little road trip to the city from the suburbs to go to a skating rink (“Zamboni!”). The illustrations have an ease that keeps eyes flickering between word and image.

Amiable and encouraging, and too innocent to give even a thought to snow stopping something in its tracks: school. (Early reader. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-06-195821-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: June 26, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012

Categories:

CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
EVERYTHING GOES: WHAT FLIES IN THE AIR?
by Brian Biggs ; illustrated by Brian Biggs

- BOOK REVIEW
EVERYTHING GOES: BY SEA
by Brian Biggs ; illustrated by Brian Biggs

- BOOK REVIEW
EVERYTHING GOES: SANTA GOES EVERYWHERE!
by Brian Biggs ; illustrated by Brian Biggs

- BOOK REVIEW
HENRY IN A JAM
by B.B. Bourne & illustrated by Simon Abbott

bookshelf

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.

bookshelf

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)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026

ISBN: 9780063436121

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

bookshelf

GOING PLACES

by Peter H. Reynolds ; Paul A. Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2014

Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted.

bookshelf

Imagination soars—quite literally—when a little girl follows her own set of rules.

Every year Oak Hill School has a go-kart race called the Going Places contest. Students are given identical go-kart kits with a precise set of instructions. And of course, every single kart ends up exactly the same. Every one, that is, except Maya’s. Maya is a dreamy artist, and she would rather sketch birds in her backyard than get caught up in the competition. When she finally does start working, she uses the parts in the go-kart box but creates something completely different. No one ever said it had to be a go-kart. Maya’s creative thinking inspires Rafael, her neighbor (and the most enthusiastic Going Places contestant), to ask to team up. The instructions never say they couldn’t work together, either! An ode to creativity and individuality to be sure, but the Reynolds brothers are also taking a swipe at modern education: Endless repetition and following instructions without question create a culture of conformity. Hopefully now, readers will see infinite possibility every time the system hands them an identical go-kart box.

Not astonishingly go-out-and-buy-it-at-graduation inspirational, but all it takes is one seed of change to be planted. (Picture book. 4-8)