A barnyard parable sure to lighten bad mooods.
This bovine’s having a bad day!
Little Mootilda wakes up with straw in her hair. When her moomaw gives her a frozen treat to cheer her up, it falls on the ground after one lick. “Her moomaw said, ‘That’s terri-bull, / but don’t stay in and mope.’ / She smoothed her cowlick, smooched her cheek, / and said, ‘Go jump some rope!’ ” Mootilda jumps rope with some other calves. That seems to help until she trips and kicks a bucket of milk, sending it flying and tangling everyone in the rope. One of the calves suggests a swim with sheep, but a big, splashy belly-flop leaves Mootilda in her bad mood. Cycling with pigs and playing basketball with horses end just as disastrously. Four chickens tell her about their bad day: A flying bucket destroyed their painting; a big splash drowned their sand castle….They “cow-miserate” and get some ice cream. She doesn’t realize it, but the conversation has helped. Now when another mischance befalls her ice cream, she laughs—her bad mood has gone. After a few more cow puns, she pulls up a couple bales and opens a “cow-nseling” service. Little ones might need a bit of help understanding Mootilda’s revelation, but Ranucci’s bright illustrations of wide-eyed farm critters are engaging and lively, and the details demand repeated readings. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 79% of actual size.)
A barnyard parable sure to lighten bad mooods. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4998-1086-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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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