A celebration of bravery against a big bully—though picky eaters might sympathize with the shark.
Confronting a toothy shark, a young pearl diver displays courage, cleverness, and a compelling counteroffensive.
A brown-skinned child in a red wetsuit, her hair in two puffs, leaps from a boat wearing a mask and a diving tube. Reaching the “very bitty bottom of the deep blue sea,” she spies a pearl for her net—just as a sizable shark surges up. His extremely broad grin is hungry, not friendly. But the plucky girl strikes a deal with him: She’ll provide the shark with an alternative seafood dinner or else be his main course. The tasting menu of options includes “a squid with her kid,” frilly jellyfish, puffer fish, and a stingray. Each proves violently indigestible and is promptly ejected, with assorted sound effects: “OUCH! AAH! ICK! SPIT! BLAH!” As in Bernstrom’s One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel (2016), regurgitation reigns. In a desperate bid, the girl convinces the shark to try a turtle, whose shell shatters his teeth. Deal over, he goes to “CHOMP!” her, but she blocks his mouth with her net and bears the pearl triumphantly away, safely rejoining her parent in the boat. This neon cartoon version of a reef, all soft edges, looks like a rainbow garden, until we see its dangerous inhabitants, pastel but perilous. Goofy details such as the shark’s ridiculous pink tongue support the upbeat emphasis on the rollicking rhythm and rhymes and the vibrant undersea setting.
A celebration of bravery against a big bully—though picky eaters might sympathize with the shark. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 29, 2025
ISBN: 9781662640827
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Hippo Park/Astra Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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