High-spirited and brimming with fun, a charming look at the dawn of a new season and continued good times with friends.
Spring has sprung, and it’s time to wake up!
Arising from their winter hibernations, the forest animals wonder why Bear is still sleeping. Fearing his fierce reaction (“Bear can be VERY grouchy if he doesn’t get enough sleep”), Bird, Chipmunk, Rabbit, Squirrel, and Mouse quietly creep into his cave to wake him up. As they decorate his body with flower crowns, give him a rainbow pedicure, and freshen up his dark cave, Bear dreams of good times to come, shown in an emotional spread of Bear outlined in the green of nature (the smaller animals scampering over him), set against the soothing deep blue of the page. At last, he wakes up; the limitless possibilities of a new season with friends await. Relying on exuberant rounded lines and intentional pops of color amid a background of either solid green or blue, Caldecott honoree Stein has created a world bursting with life, playfully portraying Bear and his forest friends with expressive faces. His text flows naturally, using alliteration, short sentences, and very effective page turns (young readers will go wild for Bear’s eventual awakening), making this a natural choice for a captivating read-aloud. Children will readily relate to Bear’s reluctance to get out of bed amid pleasant dreams—as well as the unbearable anticipation felt by his friends.
High-spirited and brimming with fun, a charming look at the dawn of a new season and continued good times with friends. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
ISBN: 9780063382664
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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