It’s an altogether charming book, but children may want to imitate Molly; adult caregivers of those that do should check...
In a pleasing tale by the recipient of the 2011 Cheerios New Author Contest, cheerful Molly releases a balloon and gains a friend.
Short rhymes describe the red balloon and how “Molly tied on a note / and set it afloat / with hopes it soon would be found.” Text and art capture the growing distance between Molly standing in her yard and the balloon floating higher in the sky: “Close to a cloud. / Sounds not so loud. / Barking dogs hushed. / Honking cars shushed.” The aerial perspectives are dizzying, and Bogade uses uncluttered pen-and-ink artwork to best advantage by leaving swathes of white for eyes to rest on, making bright splotches of color pop whether it is rooftops, fields or the balloon itself. The balloon’s journey over a body of water lasts a magical two spreads, from dusk and through the moonlit night, until it bobs toward shore at sunrise: “Town getting nearer. / Sounds getting clearer. / Blue bird sings. / Tower bell rings.” The excitement and anticipation comes from seeing where the balloon will land after it has traveled such a great distance and who will find it. In a surprising twist, the balloon introduces a new friend much closer than Molly—or readers—might ever have expected.
It’s an altogether charming book, but children may want to imitate Molly; adult caregivers of those that do should check environmental cautions and state law first. (Language to this effect will be added to the book in subsequent printings.) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 11, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6697-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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