Youngsters who are constantly told to hush will love how a little character’s big voice makes all the difference.
A small cat and a little girl stop a crime in this illustrated tale.
Mouse, a tiny gray feline with huge ears and a big voice, never seems to meow when her family can appreciate it. Instead, she does so during television shows and breakfast time, and when everyone wants to sleep. But Little Liz understands what it’s like when others don’t listen; instead of telling Mouse to “hush,” like everyone else, Liz listens, and Mouse listens to her. One day, when Mouse hears an unusual noise in the kitchen, she tries to get her people’s attention. Only Liz responds, and they discover burglars. Mouse saves the day with a house-shaking meow, keeping the crisis in Benishek’s (The Squeezor Is Coming!, 2018, etc.) story from becoming too scary. (The cat-burglar team also includes actual cats, which heightens the silliness.) Mouse’s perpetual cheer, even in the face of being told to hush, comes through in Young’s (Angel on Assignment, 2018, etc.) color illustrations, which show Liz to be an irrepressible youngster with dark skin and curly brown hair. The parallels between Mouse (who “hadn’t grown into her ears yet”) and Little Liz (who “hadn’t grown into her eyes yet”) are also cleverly expressed.
Youngsters who are constantly told to hush will love how a little character’s big voice makes all the difference.Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-387-83056-5
Page Count: 24
Publisher: MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 25, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit.
Readers try to dislodge a monster from the pages of this emotive and interactive read-aloud.
“OH NO!” the story starts. “There’s a monster in your book!” The blue, round-headed monster with pink horns and a pink-tipped tail can be seen cheerfully munching on the opening page. “Let’s try to get him out,” declares the narrator. Readers are encouraged to shake, tilt, and spin the book around, while the monster careens around an empty background looking scared and lost. Viewers are exhorted to tickle the monster’s feet, blow on the page, and make a really loud noise. Finally, shockingly, it works: “Now he’s in your room!” But clearly a monster in your book is safer than a monster in your room, so he’s coaxed back into the illustrations and lulled to sleep, curled up under one page and cuddling a bit of another like a child with their blankie. The monster’s entirely cute appearance and clear emotional reactions to his treatment add to the interactive aspect, and some young readers might even resist the instructions to avoid hurting their new pal. Children will be brought along on the monster’s journey, going from excited, noisy, and wiggly to calm and steady (one can hope).
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6456-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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