Magnifique! An ideal choice to share before a child’s first sleepover.
Methinks the gastropod doth protest too much.
Grab your pjs, toothbrush, and sleeping bag, because everyone’s favorite snail is inviting you to “a soirée pyjama”! Now starring in a fifth adventure, Escargot is quite the self-described expert on everything sleepover. There are movies to watch and snacks to eat. There’s also one activity that is forbidden: falling asleep! Luckily, Escargot has a foolproof plan to postpone sleep. Anytime readers see the snail starting to drift off, they are to yell, “WAKE UP, ESCARGOT!” As time passes, Escargot begins to fade, but our tiny hero initially refuses to admit defeat: “Probably you were sleeping and you dreamed that Escargot was asleep.” But finally, Escargot capitulates to exhaustion—and perhaps readers will, too, lulled by the sleepy snail’s soothing words: “Let us close our eyes and maybe also our mouths….But first, I must give you a kiss good night. Mwah!” With oversize, Disneyesque eyes and ineffable charm, Escargot is cuteness incarnate, while Slater’s peppy narration is a delight. Consider reading this book at storytime in a French accent. The book includes both familiar French terms and those likely to be new (like doudou for “stuffie”).
Magnifique! An ideal choice to share before a child’s first sleepover. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 14, 2026
ISBN: 9780374392291
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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