A touching tale flawlessly told.
A child and a dog with troubled pasts bond in this picture book.
Canine Argo and a young, unnamed human narrator both love playing, running, and cuddling on the couch. They also both lived in many other places before they got together. Argo once resided in an animal shelter, where he was very frightened until two employees made him feel safe. Although it’s not overtly stated, the child appears to have been in foster care; in one scene, the character is shown as a baby while two faceless adults argue in the background. The text is informative without being scary: “Some people I lived with before had big problems and didn’t always take good care of me.” When Argo chews up a beloved toy, the narrator explodes with anger until his family member (an unnamed adult) talks about the effects of Argo’s past. The child apologizes and the pair make amends: “He feels safe and loved,” the child says. “Just like me.” In less skilled hands, this story could have treacly undertones (or worse, be upsetting to kids), but Ghosh Ippen’s gentle, accessible text, paired with Erich Ippen Jr.’s expressive, full-color pen-and-watercolor illustrations, perfectly conveys the transformative power of patience, kindness, and love for those who’ve experienced trauma. The narrator is depicted as Black; adult characters have varying skin tones.
A touching tale flawlessly told.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-950168-18-7
Page Count: 29
Publisher: Piplo Productions
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sweet, reassuring fun—and a story to fully embrace.
A slug longs for a hug and finds it unexpectedly.
Doug the slug would really like a hug and plods on, seeking affection. But a caterpillar, bug, spider, and worm want no part of hugging a slug. They are just not feeling it (might they feel sluggish?), voicing their disdain in no uncertain terms with expressions like, “Grimy, slippy!” and “Squelchy, slimy!” What’s a slug to do? Undeterred, Doug keeps trying. He meets Gail, a snail with crimson lipstick and hip, red glasses; she happens to be as grimy and squelchy as he is, so he figures she is the hugger of his dreams. The two embark upon a madcap romantic courtship. Alas, Gail also draws the (slimy) line at hugging Doug. Finally, mournful Doug meets the best hugger and the true love of his life, proving there’s someone for everyone. This charmer will have readers rooting for Doug (and perhaps even wanting to hug him). Expressed in simple, jaunty verses that read and scan smoothly, the brief tale revolves around words that mainly rhyme with Doug and slug. Given that the story stretches vocabulary so well with regard to rhyming words, children can be challenged after a read-aloud session to offer up words that rhyme with slug and snail. The colorful and humorous illustrations are lively and cheerful; googly-eyed Doug is, like the other characters, entertaining and expressive. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sweet, reassuring fun—and a story to fully embrace. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-66590-046-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
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