Chock-full of personality and charm, Thumpy Feet will be warmly welcomed by readers everywhere.
Anyone who has ever known and loved a cat will be instantly captivated by Lewin’s fun-loving feline creation.
Thumpy Feet, a friendly orange cat with big green eyes and a goofy grin, stares out from the front cover and pulls listeners into his simple and simply delightful world. His everyday activities will be familiar to cat owners, but they also closely parallel the pastimes and preoccupations of preschoolers. Basically, there’s food, play, sleep and more play, with a bit of postprandial grooming slipped in. Lewin’s language is rhythmic and imaginative, from her hero’s galumphing approach (“Thumpy thumpy thumpy thump thumpy”) through his appreciative discovery of a full bowl (“MMMMMMmmmmmm Foodie food!”) and a sweet “snoozy snooze” to the final “LOOKY LOOK!” that leads him off the page and out of the story, chasing a ball of red yarn. Several words per page appear in varying colors and locations to complement Lewin’s energetic and expressive watercolors. The focus remains on Thumpy Feet throughout—he stretches, pounces and poses in each double-page spread, outlined in black against a white background. The few details—a food bowl, a blue stuffed mouse that serves as both plaything and pillow, and that bouncing ball of yarn—provide context and additional appeal.
Chock-full of personality and charm, Thumpy Feet will be warmly welcomed by readers everywhere. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2901-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 21, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Nothing new here but a nonetheless congenial matriculant in publishing’s autumnal rite of back-to-school offerings.
The Crayons head back to class in this latest series entry.
Daywalt’s expository text lays out the basics as various Crayons wave goodbye to the beach, choose a first-day outfit, greet old friends, and make new ones. As in previous outings, the perennially droll illustrations and hand-lettered Crayon-speak drive the humor. The ever wrapperless Peach, opining, “What am I going to wear?” surveys three options: top hat and tails, a chef’s toque and apron, and a Santa suit. New friends Chunky Toddler Crayon (who’s missing a bite-sized bit of their blue point) and Husky Toddler Crayon speculate excitedly on their common last name: “I wonder if we’re related!” White Crayon, all but disappearing against the page’s copious white space, sits cross-legged reading a copy of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man. And Yellow and Orange, notable for their previous existential argument about the color of the sun, find agreement in science class: Jupiter, clearly, is yellow AND orange. Everybody’s excited about art class—“Even if they make a mess. Actually…ESPECIALLY if they make a mess!” Here, a spread of crayoned doodles of butterflies, hearts, and stars is followed by one with fulsome scribbles. Fans of previous outings will spot cameos from Glow in the Dark and yellow-caped Esteban (the Crayon formerly known as Pea Green). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nothing new here but a nonetheless congenial matriculant in publishing’s autumnal rite of back-to-school offerings. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9780593621110
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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