A caveat emptor story with yuks and sartorial swagger.
It’s Cheetah versus Tiger in this battle of the…pants?
When Cheetah splits his drawers while executing some sweet dance moves, it’s a bona fide “PANTS EMERGENCY.” Fortunately, the lion salesclerk at the pants shop has in stock what he calls “THE WORLD’S FINEST PAIR OF PANTS!”: They’re olive green with peach-colored spots. (Naturally, Cheetah approves of spots.) At the park, Cheetah is peacocking in his smart new trousers when he meets Tiger, who isn’t impressed. Tiger shows off his own pants, which have olive-green and peach-colored stripes. (Naturally, Tiger approves of stripes.) Quoting the lion salesclerk from the pants shop, Tiger calls his trousers “THE WORLD’S FINEST PAIR OF PANTS!” Hey, wait a minute…Cheetah and Tiger realize that they’ve both been suckered by a smooth operator and that there’s no reason spots and stripes can’t be admired equally. This intermittently rhyming offering is in good company with its forebear: Dr. Seuss’ “The Sneetches,” another cautionary kid-pleaser in which a superficial attribute leads one party to feel unjustifiably superior to another. Shryock, in her first outing as author/illustrator, largely sticks with a très chic green, peach, blue, and black palette to capture the hilarious strutting braggadocio of the book’s absurdly long-legged and flexible cast of bipedal animals. (It turns out that Cheetah and Tiger aren’t the only ones who appreciate a high-waisted trouser.)
A caveat emptor story with yuks and sartorial swagger. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9798217110520
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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