Idiosyncratic and thought-provoking in the very best ways.
Cheeky surprises await inside this witty, rhyming die-cut book.
Mmmmm. A tasty purple plum beckons from the front cover. Or does it? Because under that die-cut image, well, there’s a violet hippo bum! Each zany rhyming pair presents a mind-blowing bit of visual trickery sure to elicit gasps. A round head and eight long lines makes the answer to “Is this a SPIDER?” feel obvious. But a grandly theatrical page turn reveals the bigger picture. Arachnid legs reorient into whiskers. That spider? “It’s a TIGER.” Feathery goose? “No—it’s a MOOSE!” Sprinkle-laden cake? “It’s a SNAKE!” A final page revisits the titular fruit, but with a full-circle twist: “Yes—it’s a PLUM!” A fanciful, double-page summation shows the pairs mingling, including the hippo munching the plum. Pencil crayoned illustrations are drawn incredibly precisely in order to create the marvelous die-cut magic, yet they feel casual, like something a very talented parent might doodle for a child. It’s a fitting style, considering the book is the work of a father-and-son author/illustrator team. Rich, highly variegated colored lines pop against minimal backgrounds, as do the many creatures’ wide, round eyes that stare sassily back at readers. Though undeniably enjoyable, the book has surprisingly serious underpinnings. It's “dedicated to the truth,” and an author’s note from Finn (8 years old when the story was created) petitions readers to “think about what things really are,” an exceptionally timely reminder.
Idiosyncratic and thought-provoking in the very best ways. (Picture book. 3-10)Pub Date: May 5, 2026
ISBN: 9798217223138
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated.
Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s classic alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets the Halloween treatment.
Chung follows the original formula to the letter. In alphabetical order, each letter climbs to the top of a tree. They are knocked back to the ground in a jumble before climbing up in sequence again. In homage to the spooky holiday theme, they scale a “creaky old tree,” and a ghostly jump scare causes the pileup. The chunky, colorful art is instantly recognizable. The charmingly costumed letters (“H swings a tail. / I wears a patch. J and K don / bows that don’t match”) are set against a dark backdrop, framed by pages with orange or purple borders. The spreads feature spiderwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. The familiar rhyme cadence is marred by the occasional clunky or awkward phrase; in particular, the adapted refrain of “Chicka chicka tricka treat” offers tongue-twisting fun, but it’s repeatedly followed by the disappointing half-rhyme “Everybody sneaka sneak.” Even this odd construction feels shoehorned into place, since “sneaking” makes little sense when every character in the book is climbing together. The final line of the book ends on a more satisfying note, with “Everybody—time to eat!”
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781665954785
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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