An amusing story of imagination crashing with reality, balanced well with skillful illustrations.
In Hoff’s illustrated children’s book, a young boy sets out to prove that he is, in fact, a pirate.
One morning, a boy named Stephen stands up on his kitchen chair and announces his new occupation. In response, his sister, Alicia, notes, “I don’t think pirates stand of kitchen chairs.” “They do when they’re not at sea,” counters Stephen. This isn’t the first time that Stephen has decided to have a new job; it’s revealed that, on previous occasions, he’d said that he was an astronaut and a professional heel-toe polka dancer. But unlike those unsuccessful attempts at being something other than a young boy standing at his kitchen table, he’s truly dedicated to being a pirate this time—and he leaves his home to prove it. Almost immediately, he runs into an elderly bakery owner who claims to have once been a pirate inspector for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. To prove his worth, Stephen agrees to undertake a series of tests which don’t seem particularly piratelike, such as pulling weeds and sweeping away cobwebs, all while passing by other kids who aren’t pirates but seem to be having a lot more fun than he is. Throughout Hoff’s book, there’s a pleasing mix of rhyme, dialogue, and a few full-page illustrations that keep the story bouncing along and make it well-suited for a read-aloud. Stephen is a believable and relatable character, and his changing emotions during his journey are sharply captured by Froese’s somewhat-minimalistic full-color cartoon illustrations. The bakery owner’s escalation of alleged pirate tests will amuse young readers, and her expressions of faux-surprise are well-rendered. Both Stephen and the bakery owner are portrayed with pale skin; other children have a range of skin tones.
An amusing story of imagination crashing with reality, balanced well with skillful illustrations.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A brisk if bland offering for series fans, but cleverer metafictive romps abound.
The titular cookie runs off the page at a bookstore storytime, pursued by young listeners and literary characters.
Following on 13 previous How To Catch… escapades, Wallace supplies sometimes-tortured doggerel and Elkerton, a set of helter-skelter cartoon scenes. Here the insouciant narrator scampers through aisles, avoiding a series of elaborate snares set by the racially diverse young storytime audience with help from some classic figures: “Alice and her mad-hat friends, / as a gift for my unbirthday, / helped guide me through the walls of shelves— / now I’m bound to find my way.” The literary helpers don’t look like their conventional or Disney counterparts in the illustrations, but all are clearly identified by at least a broad hint or visual cue, like the unnamed “wizard” who swoops in on a broom to knock over a tower labeled “Frogwarts.” Along with playing a bit fast and loose with details (“Perhaps the boy with the magic beans / saved me with his cow…”) the author discards his original’s lip-smacking climax to have the errant snack circling back at last to his book for a comfier sort of happily-ever-after.
A brisk if bland offering for series fans, but cleverer metafictive romps abound. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0935-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
