A funny, creative take on a well-known fairy tale.
Pattison’s picture book offers a unique spin on an old classic.
Goldilocks is famous in town for her golden hair. She enters a cave where a troll family lives, sees food on their table, and commences tasting. She decides the smallest dish is too “jitter-bitter,” the middle-sized one is a too “treat-sweet,” but the biggest dish is a “just right-delight.” She also sits in and breaks (!) one of their chairs. Neighbors peek through the window, watching Goldilocks, who eventually takes a “snap-nap” in the trolls’ beds. The police are called. Papa Troll tells the cop, who’s a pink bear, “This is the third time I’ve found Goldilocks in my cave this bleak-week!” The cop awakens Goldilocks and tells her she is a thief. She retorts, “You can’t do anything to me!” The story concludes with Goldilocks in the clink and a reminder to stay out of “rubble-trouble.” Pattison’s use of silly language adds an amusing layer to the story, making this a good pick for a read-aloud. Bartolomé’s colorful, simple illustrations offer drawn interpretations and unique textured backgrounds; for example, the last page depicts Goldilocks in “folktale-jail,” laughing and swapping stories with the Big Bad Wolf.
A funny, creative take on a well-known fairy tale.Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62944-162-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mims House, LLC
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, if oft-told, story.
A plush toy rabbit bonds with a boy and watches him grow into adulthood.
The boy receives the blue bunny for his birthday and immediately becomes attached to it. Unbeknownst to him, the ungendered bunny is sentient; it engages in dialogue with fellow toys, giving readers insight into its thoughts. The bunny's goal is to have grand adventures when the boy grows up and no longer needs its company. The boy spends many years playing imaginatively with the bunny, holding it close during both joyous and sorrowful times and taking it along on family trips. As a young man, he marries, starts a family, and hands over the beloved toy to his toddler-aged child in a crib. The bunny's epiphany—that he does not need to wait for great adventures since all his dreams have already come true in the boy's company—is explicitly stated in the lengthy text, which is in many ways similar to The Velveteen Rabbit (1922). The illustrations, which look hand-painted but were digitally created, are moderately sentimental with an impressionistic dreaminess (one illustration even includes a bunny-shaped cloud in the sky) and a warm glow throughout. The depiction of a teenage male openly displaying his emotions—hugging his beloved childhood toy for example—is refreshing. All human characters present as White expect for one of the boy’s friends who is Black.
A sweet, if oft-told, story. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72825-448-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
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