In this wet and wordless adventure, a button-nosed little boy makes a cake with his mother, gets messy and needs a bath. He sulks, his dream of cake dissapointingly deferred. But his bath proves more interesting than he thought when a few fish leap around and draw his attention underneath the bubbly surface. The boy discovers a magical sea world and a map that leads him to a treasure chest. Then, in a humourous twist, he sees the chest is not filled with “treasure,” but shampoo. After an orange octopus gives him a good wash, he finds his mother waiting at the surface with a towel and eventually that piece of just-baked cake. Though some readers might feel a bit let down by finding only bath products in the chest, the cake makes up for it and so does Andreasen’s cuddly, expressive artwork. The visual narrative is clear enough for the very young, yet complex enough for slightly older audiences. A playful bedtime treat, especially for those too fidgety for text-heavy tales. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8686-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
Categories: CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
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A charming wordless tale about a magical red book and two unnamed children.
One child (quietly androgynous though called a girl by the flap copy) finds a red book lying in the city snow. She brings it to school and opens it to find a map of a warm island somewhere far away. Through a series of frames, the picture zooms in to show her a child on that island, also finding a red book (buried in the sand) and viewing the first child’s snowy city. Now his pictures zoom in and he finds her looking at him in the book and then out through the classroom window. They can see each other! After school, a purchase of many balloons carries the city child off to the island to meet her new friend who sees that she’s left the city and then, there she is—as seen in her book lying on the city sidewalk where she’s dropped it. As it closes, a new city child, who will presumably have an adventure too, picks it up.
Simple, nicely drawn, and a friendly toast to the imagination. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2004
ISBN: 978-0-618-42858-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2004
Categories: CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
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A troubled little unicorn needs serious help.
There are “worry gremlins” all around threatening his peace of mind. Kids will feel engaged and empowered as they follow the directions to get these gremlins out of the picture. Young readers are told to “wiggle your fingers to make some magic dust,” tickle the unicorn, tell him a joke, and shake the book. None of these tactics quite do the trick, since the gremlins keep coming back and Unicorn’s horn gets stuck in the page. A gentler shake frees the horn, and the text offers another solution, one that kids can take to heart—“The best way to get rid of a worry is to tell someone about it.” Luckily, Unicorn’s friend Monster, an innocuous blue being with tiny pink horns, is there for Unicorn to whisper his worries to. Readers are also urged to whisper something encouraging to Unicorn, who thereafter feels much better. Fears allayed, he and his friends indulge in an exuberant celebration. Kids can join in as they happily sing together against a double-page spread of stars, rays of light, fairies, and disappearing gremlins. The digital illustrations are humorous, and varying typefaces and energetic page reveals add to the fun. This entry in the Who’s in Your Book? series follows the same pattern as the others and includes characters from the previous books.
A simple but important lesson about anxiety that will speak to young worrywarts everywhere. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-43476-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2021
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