Sweet and frolicsome.
Louis’ sleepwalking is getting out of hand!
The tall purple building at 32 Pebbly Ln. is a veritable zoo. Elephant, cow, alligator, hippo, owl, and more all live there together, leading “mostly unextraordinary lives.” But Louis the lemur is another matter. From his apartment on the very top floor, he has the unfortunate habit of sleepwalking. At first, he simply “snoozes” around the other apartments, but then he starts wandering the city. Concerned, his neighbors decide to follow him as he “snuffles” right into the middle of Pebbly Lane. They follow him up and down and across a telephone wire; it’s a late-night parade! Louis walks to a cliff, still fast asleep, and seems ready to step off. Can they catch him in time? They make an animal chain and grab his long fluffy tail in midair. Louis wakes up. His friends pull him back onto the cliff’s edge, and he describes “the MOST amazing dreams”: how he climbed Mount Everest, dazzled everyone on the tightrope at the circus, and went scuba diving. Suddenly he realizes the truth and gets highly embarrassed, but his friends are right there to cheer him up. Dicmas’ slight tale is a perfect vehicle for her imaginative illustrations and offbeat animals. Her friendly, loosely drawn shapes are colored in pastel blues, greens, and pinks, complemented by the rosy dawn as the sun comes up on Louis’ adventures.
Sweet and frolicsome. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-61067-767-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Pair this with Leo Timmers’ Who Is Driving? (2007) for twice the guessing fun.
Heling and Hembrook’s clever conceit challenges children to analyze a small town’s clotheslines to guess the job each of their owners does.
Close-up on the clothesline: “Uniform and cap, / an invite for you. / Big bag of letters. / What job does she do?” A turn of the page reveals a macro view of the home, van and the woman doing her job, “She is a mail carrier.” Indeed, she can be spotted throughout the book delivering invitations to all the rest of the characters, who gather at the end for a “Launch Party.” The verses’ rhymes are spot-on, though the rhythm falters a couple of times. The authors nicely mix up the gender stereotypes often associated with several of these occupations, making the carpenter, firefighter and astronaut women. But while Davies keeps uniforms and props pretty neutral (he even avoids U.S. mail symbols), he keeps to the stereotypes that allow young readers to easily identify occupations—the farmer chews on a stalk of wheat; the beret-wearing artist sports a curly mustache. A subdued palette and plain white backgrounds keep kids’ focus on the clothing clues. Still, there are plenty of details to absorb—the cat with arched back that anticipates a spray of water, the firefighter who “lights” the rocket.
Pair this with Leo Timmers’ Who Is Driving? (2007) for twice the guessing fun. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-58089-251-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Egg-stra special.
The creators of Pick a Pine Tree (2017) and Pick a Pumpkin (2019) cover each step of a popular Easter tradition.
The first stop for a light-skinned caregiver and child is the farm. Peering into the henhouse, they spot an egg (reminding readers that eggs don’t originate at the grocery store). More eggs are collected throughout the spring countryside and brought home, ready to hard boil. While the eggs are cooling, it’s time to prepare the dye! The lively text highlights natural methods first (“Stew some plants / to make a brew: / beets turn eggs / a rosy hue. / Spinach? Green! / Berries? Blue! / Try some herbs / or spices, too”) but also gives a nod to store-bought kits. After a full day of egg decorating, the youngster wakes up the next morning for a festive neighborhood egg hunt. Happily, treats found inside plastic eggs are not limited to sugar only; they include secret notes, tiny toys, and coins, too. (The child adds their dyed eggs to this bounty.) Sprays of bright greens, a shining sun, and dotted buds on trees as well as pastel bunting and fuzzy bunny ears and flower crowns on little ones bring a light, airy lift to this joyful community gathering. The children involved in the egg hunt are diverse in skin tone. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Egg-stra special. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2847-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022
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