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CAN I COME TOO?

Name: CAN I COME TOO?
Author: Brian Patten
ISBN: 978-1-56145-796-0

by Brian Patten ; illustrated by Nicola Bayley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2014

The evergreen “dream big” message gets a gracious, nicely designed treatment here.

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A tiny mouse yearning for an outsize adventure sets out to find the biggest creature in the world.

As she encounters successively larger animals in the wooded setting, the mouse asks each, “Are you the biggest creature in the world?” A frog, kingfisher, cat, otter and others all demur, but each asks to join the search. In addition to woodland and domestic animals, the entourage stops at the zoo to add a tiger and polar bear. (The bear’s heard that the biggest “lives in the ocean where the river ends.”) Sure enough, the pilgrims—arranged in size from small to large, silhouetted against the setting sun—gaze at a breaching whale, “as big as an island.” As night falls, the animals head homeward, marveling that they’d “never have seen such a wonderful thing” without the little mouse. As she curls up to sleep, she too is delighted to have had such “a very big adventure.” Patten’s telling, plainspoken if a tad saccharine, suits the tale, and Bayley’s lovely, realistic colored-pencil compositions, elegantly framing the well-chosen text type, will attract many families.

The evergreen “dream big” message gets a gracious, nicely designed treatment here. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-56145-796-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Peachtree

Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BIG SNUGGLE-UP
by Brian Patten & illustrated by Nicola Bayley

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BLUE AND GREEN ARK
by Brian Patten

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MEI MEI THE BUNNY

by Laufey ; illustrated by Lauren O'Hara ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2026

A reassuring riff on embracing imperfections.

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A young rabbit frets about her upcoming violin performance in Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey’s literary debut.

Mei Mei’s dream—“to share her music with the world”—is about to come true. She’s having her very first recital, complete with an orchestra, at the H’Opera House. But the day before the concert, Mei Mei is racked with anxiety. What if she plays a bum note in front of everyone? Sure enough, the worst happens mid-performance: She hits a clinker. But by remembering her mom’s reassuring sentiments from the night before (“Feel the wind…find the notes to make it right”), Mei Mei summons the strength to soldier on, and “wrong notes become right. Dissonance becomes beautiful.” At times, it all feels more like a resilience parable than a story, and the writing can be precious (“The flutter of butterflies wakes Mei Mei from her slumber”). Still, the message is solid, bolstered by O’Hara’s pencil and watercolor illustrations, which are plush-toy soft—fitting, as even prior to this book’s publication, a stuffed Mei Mei has been for sale at Grammy winner Laufey’s website. The tale features an all-animal, all-adorable cast, and endearingly, the art betrays no hint of modern times. A standout image presents Mei Mei onstage, temporarily incapacitated by her mistake and imagining her fellow musicians and their instruments with the color-blasted menace of an expressionist painting.

A reassuring riff on embracing imperfections. (author’s note, glossary) (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: April 21, 2026

ISBN: 9798217051748

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Penguin Workshop

Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

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IT'S MY BIRD-DAY!

From the Pigeon series

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2026

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.

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Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!

Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)