This is the book about skateboarding female rabbits you didn’t know you were missing.
The titular rabbits model tender, generous friendship in Odell’s (I’m Done!, by Gretchen Brandenberg McClellan, 2018) authorial debut.
Best friends Pepper, a white rabbit with one black ear, and Frannie, a flamboyantly outfitted brown rabbit, both girls, love having adventures. Pepper’s idea of a good adventure, however, involves plans, maps, and precision, while Frannie revels in spontaneity. Refreshingly, each friend’s outlook, interests, and impeccable personal style are presented as equally valid, showing (rather than telling) that there’s no one right way to be a girl. When Frannie misses the bus to the Wheels in the Woods skateboarding festival, a helmeted Pepper saves the day with a ride on her motorcycle, then reveals that she’s reluctant to try skateboarding herself. With Frannie’s persistent encouragement, emphasized via faux hand-lettered speech bubbles, Pepper eventually does—with pleasantly surprising results. Sparse lines of text give the mixed-media illustrations an equal role in the storytelling; despite the bold contrast of black text on bright white pages, the text and pacing maintain a sweet, playful tone alongside soft, painterly organic shapes dominated by shades of green and pink. Delightful details abound, from Pepper’s expressions of concentration as she tries “again, and again” to Frannie’s leopard-spotted skating outfit.
This is the book about skateboarding female rabbits you didn’t know you were missing. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: March 19, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-62414-660-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends
Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler—heck, every human: “Waiting is not easy!”
When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that she has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the “surprise is a surprise.” Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it’s big, it’s pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on this basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald lets out an almighty “GROAN!” Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day; Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait; Gerald groans. As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. “WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY!…And for WHAT!?” Piggie then gestures up to the Milky Way, which an awed Gerald acknowledges “was worth the wait.” Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can’t help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald’s elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait.
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends . (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9957-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
When Scaredy Squirrel plans a party, he concentrates on maximum security, not maximum fun. His checklist: "Confirm date of birth; pick a safe location; choose party colors; get tuxedo dry-cleaned; prepare cake recipe; practice breathing (to blow up balloons/blow out candles); mail party invitation to myself." That's right—there’s only one guest at Scaredy's birthday party, and it's himself. But when his chum Buddy sends him a birthday card, he reconsiders his guest list to include his pal, even making the momentous decision to hold his party on the ground instead of in his tree. Replete with the lists and diagrams that are this OCD rodent's hallmarks, the story unfolds with both humor and some useful etiquette tips. From conversational gambits (good: "If you were a tree, what type of tree would you be?"; bad: "Is that a muskrat on your head? Oops... it's a toupee") to the "dos and don'ts of partying" (do: sit quietly; don't: double-dip), kids will find much to laugh at and think about. Typically (for a Scaredy adventure), despite a plan so complete it includes tooth-brushing breaks, a surprise happens—party animals show up! Watt’s wry digital illustrations make the most of the perceived mayhem, using a host of graphic conventions to tell her story. There's no question it's a formula by now, but it's still a winning one. Many happy returns, Scaredy. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-55453-468-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Jan. 31, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2011
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