Another warm and relatable triumph.
In the friends’ third outing, Frank faces two challenges: delayed gratification and honesty.
Frank the fox (who narrates) and Bert the bear’s previous picnics have been marred by mishaps: rain, wasps, a scary squirrel. But this one will be perfect—plus, Bert has brought along a surprise in his box. The duo set out for their favorite spot under a tree, near some rounded hills. The lunch looks delicious, and Frank can’t wait for the surprise. When it’s unfortunately delayed by Bert’s post-meal nap, Frank opens the box, which turns out to be full of caramel crunch cookies: “my absolute favorite cookies in the whole world.” Surely it would be OK to eat just one? “Or maybe even two…or three…or four…or five!” Uh-oh. Now Frank must explain why the box is empty. Frank blames those scary squirrels—10 of them! But Bert is so worried about his friend’s tussle with the squirrels that Frank feels guilty and decides to tell the truth—and is swiftly forgiven. Their next picnic looks like it might just resemble their last one, with Fox bearing muffins for Bert…but there’s a surprise ending for everyone! The language and pacing are just right, the tone understated, the conflict relatable. The squirrels are manic without being truly scary. Bert’s scribbly fur and Frank’s red hatch marks evoke character, and their accessories, all blue for Fox, all pink for Bert, further help differentiate them.
Another warm and relatable triumph. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9798887771328
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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