Unicorn buffs and all kids lucky enough to have grandparents will appreciate this tender, knowing tale.
Time changes some things—but not all.
Emma loves unicorns. Her bedroom walls are covered with unicorn posters, and she owns loads of unicorn toys and dolls. Her indulgent, tattooed, long-haired, long-bearded dad reads her stories about unicorns every night before bed. Guess what costumes they wear at Halloween, with Emma riding on Dad’s back, calling out, “GIDDY UP, UNICORN!”? Time has a way of passing, though, and interests inevitably change. As Emma grows up, her passions turn from unicorns to novels about vampires; wall space gives way to posters of singers. Eventually, Emma leaves home to start her own family; the unicorns are stored in the closet. Happily, Emma’s daughter, Elna, loves unicorns as much as her mom once did. It’s a good thing Grandpa kept all the unicorn paraphernalia. When Elna visits, Grandpa gives her plenty of unicorn-back rides and even lets her take the whole box of unicorns home. For the first time in ages, his house appears to be devoid of unicorns. Or is it? What’s that tattoo on Grandpa’s belly? This sweet, wistful import, originally published in Spain and translated from Spanish, considers the inexorable passage of time and how happy, loving memories and traditions enrich new generations. The colorful digital illustrations are filled with warmth and humor. The protagonists are light-skinned.
Unicorn buffs and all kids lucky enough to have grandparents will appreciate this tender, knowing tale. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781623544850
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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