by Carrie Bolin , Jessica Firpi illustrated by John Graziano ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A
An amusing way to teach kids that it’s OK to make mistakes—and still have fun.
A pufferfish gets an invitation that triggers his whirling anxieties in this picture book.
Bremner the pufferfish is a mascot of Ripley’s Aquarium, and, believe it or not, he has a bad case of social angst. He’s been invited to a party, but instead of looking forward to it, he’s overcome with worries. What if he’s the only guest, or the only one who’s nervous, or no one will talk to him? Most of all: What if he puffs up? “Don’t puff up. Don’t puff up. Don’t puff up,” he pleads with himself. Arriving, he sees a roomful of assorted sea life, plus party hats, a shark piñata, and yummy treats. Sure enough, Bremner starts to puff and—in sympathy or reaction—so do the other guests. But they laugh it off, the pictures suggest, and Bremner relaxes. (Although interpreting this from the two-page sequence of wordless illustrations is a little difficult.) Everyone returns to normal size and has a great time. In their work, Bolin (Abigail Read & Play! Activity Book, 2013) and debut author Firpi deftly capture the kinds of concerns kids have about social situations: What if I cry? What if I wet my pants? What if no one likes me? By showing that Bremner’s worst nightmare comes true, but he’s still made welcome, they put the focus on managing problems rather than avoiding them. The images by debut illustrator Graziano provide brightness, color, and wit that help to balance Bremner’s fear.
An amusing way to teach kids that it’s OK to make mistakes—and still have fun.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-1-60991-209-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Ripley Publishing
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Carrie Bolin , Jessica Firpi illustrated by John Graziano
by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2018
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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More In The Series
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry
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by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry
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by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph
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by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph
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