Parents beware. The fun to be had on these pages may entice young ones to seek out frosty frolics of their own.
A commune of irascible and colorful critters returns for serious snowytime fun.
“It’s wintertime for the Smushkins. And there is so much to do in the snow!” Following their cheery introduction in Meet the Smushkins (2025), the eclectic collection of distinct, almost Moomin-like creatures is back for more small-time adventures. This time around, the crew neatly breaks off into smaller groups as they take part in a variety of wintertime activities, perfect for their particular brand of mini-stories. Bloo, Tippi, and Puff sled into a moose; while snowshoeing, Opie befriends a sweet fox; Leo rolls an increasingly big—and unwieldy—snowball. Skiing, making snowmen, taking a dip in the hot tub, and roasting marshmallows by a cozy fire all round out the fun to be had. Though the storylines aren’t strictly conflict-free, they’re nevertheless gentle. Additionally, Rueda excels at humor so mild, it’ll inspire knowing smiles rather than giggles. For example, a petlike pack of what may be weasels or minks gather around, clearly yearning for whatever it is the Smushkins are eating. Imbued with big eyes and mouthless faces, the Smushkins vary in color and animal-like attributes (snouts, beaks, noses, etc.), as well as their warm cozy garb.
Parents beware. The fun to be had on these pages may entice young ones to seek out frosty frolics of their own. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9781536246551
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
Not a great choice for the youngest dinosaur lovers.
A board-book ode to parental love as old as the dinosaurs.
A line of text on the left of each spread reads like a dinosaur-themed valentine that a third grader might choose, with punishingly punny wordplay that incorporates dinosaur-related words. On the facing page a dinosaur pair—a baby and an adult—gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes against whimsical, pastel-hued prehistoric-ish backgrounds. In smaller print, in all caps, at the bottom of the left page is the scientific name for the dinosaur referenced by the text and picture followed by a helpful phonetic pronunciation guide. White-outlined footprints appear next to their names, though the white is sometimes difficult to see against the pastel pages. Ten of the best-known dinosaurs are included. Twisting the dinosaur names to fit the loving sentiments succeeds some of the time but more often results in tortured text, well beyond the understanding of the board book audience. The line accompanying two hugging velociraptors, for instance, is just confusing: “Wrap-TOR arms around me, / with you I’ll always stay.” Others are just plain clumsy: “I-wanna-GUANODON you kisses, / I truly just adore you.” Very young children, even those fascinated by dinosaurs, will not get it. Older dinosaur fans will be put off by the babyish format.
Not a great choice for the youngest dinosaur lovers. (Board book. 18 mos.-3)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2295-0
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to.
This simplified version of Diesen and Hanna’s The Pout-Pout Fish (2008) is appropriate for babies and toddlers.
Brief, rhyming text tells the story of a sullen fish cheered up with a kiss. A little pink sea creature pokes his head out of a hole in the sea bottom to give the gloomy fish some advice: “Smile, Mr. Fish! / You look so down // With your glum-glum face / And your pout-pout frown.” He explains that there’s no reason to be worried, scared, sad or mad and concludes: “How about a smooch? / And a cheer-up wish? // Now you look happy: / What a smile, Mr. Fish!” Simple and sweet, this tale offers the lesson that sometimes, all that’s needed for a turnaround in mood is some cheer and encouragement to change our perspective. The clean, uncluttered illustrations are kept simple, except for the pout-pout fish’s features, which are delightfully expressive. Little ones will easily recognize and likely try to copy the sad, scared and angry looks that cross the fish’s face.
An upbeat early book on feelings with a simple storyline that little ones will respond to. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-374-37084-8
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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