Themes of familial ties and inevitable separation make for a marvelous reinterpretation of a beloved picture book.
The late Zolotow’s 1964 classic is stylishly updated by her daughter (author Dragonwagon) and illustrator Morstad.
“Guess what I’ll do,” a girl tells her mother. As the mother reclines on a picnic blanket, observing her daughter, the child proposes a range of activities: “I will do all your arithmetic for you.” “I’ll fight anyone you don’t like and win.” “I’ll capture a wild black horse and tame him for you to ride.” “I’ll pick the pinkest rose for you to smell.” The original edition centered on an older brother talking to his younger sister. Changing the characters to a mother and child gives the book a special poignancy, particularly when it ends with, “I’ll leave you a friend to keep you company, while I explore the world.” Morstad’s black-eyed heroines often appear expressionless, as when the girl states, “I’ll build you a bridge that is bigger than any bridge in the world,” and the two stand back-to-back, their faces unsmiling. Yet by and large, there is real affection between these characters. Morstad even incorporates some mixed media, amusingly utilized when the girl breaks whole rocks apart for her mom. The result is a deep and abiding love that still acknowledges that someday the child must depart. Dragonwagon’s afterword ties the book’s mother-daughter connections together further. The characters have paper-white skin.
Themes of familial ties and inevitable separation make for a marvelous reinterpretation of a beloved picture book. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9781951836740
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cameron Kids
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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