A beautifully illustrated, lyrical tale, told with warmth and heart.
A whimsical tale of courage and imagination unfolds in Sidell’s rhythmic picture book adventure about Fuzzy Wuzzy the bear.
The story follows a gray, hairless bear on a journey beyond the comfort of his cave, employing playful rhyming text to take readers through fantastical settings, including ancient pyramids to underwater cities. Along the way, Fuzzy Wuzzy meets magical beings, including fairies and a unicorn, and face challenges that help him grow, such as a stormy sea. Kozhevnikova’s painterly, full-color artwork is vivid and dynamic, enhancing the tale’s dreamlike tone and supporting the emotional shifts of the narrative. The book’s messages of bravery, kindness, and legacy is clear and uplifting. However, some elements may be difficult for early readers to grasp; for example, the stylized typeface may pose a challenge to emerging readers, and some terms, such as wanderlust, aren’t explained within the story, which may require adult guidance. However, these choices also allow for discussion. The book’s creativity shines, with each page offering a new, imaginative landscape that will appeal to curious young minds. The rhyming structure supports early phonemic awareness, making it feel engaging and educational. This story also invites children to imagine where their own adventures might lead. Overall, Fuzzy’s story makes for a comforting, encouraging, and relatable read.
A beautifully illustrated, lyrical tale, told with warmth and heart.Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2025
ISBN: 9781592115433
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Histria Kids
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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