A delicate story full of humor and friendship.
From the author-illustrator duo of the effervescent King Mouse (2019) comes another sparkling whimsy.
Portrayed in the same delicate brown-and-white graphite illustrative style, the troupe of delightfully expressive animals—fox, bear, mouse, crow, snake, and tortoise—returns. This time, it’s the bear who has the featured spot. The story opens wordlessly: A double-page spread shows a human child pedaling a tricycle cart in a forest, but the musical instruments the child has been transporting have bounced out. The page turn shows the bear discovering the ukulele. He plinks it and tells the mouse that he wants to sing a song. “I’m all ears,” the mouse replies. But before he can start, the crow flies in, discovering the tambourine. She grabs it and bursts into a clever song. “That is a good song,” the bear admits, preparing to sing his own. But he is interrupted by the snake, who, finding the drum, bursts into song. And so on. The bear finally gets to sing his song, but the polite, tepid response of the others hurts his feelings, sending him off on his own. The mouse follows and gently eases the bear’s wounded pride. The evocative illustrations, skillfully portraying the emotive faces and gestures of the anthropomorphic animals, paired with the humorous (the read-aloud will be lots of fun) and compassionate narrative harkens comfortingly to a softer, gentler world. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A delicate story full of humor and friendship. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6803-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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