An engagingly subtle way to convey the power of friends in helping us face our fears, real or not.
A young, ruby-red dragon with emerald eyes explores the meanings of bravery and fear in this sequel to Oh So Tiny Bunny (2012).
The young dragon is just beginning to feel strong and brave, flapping its wings and spewing fiery, “fearsome breath” that scares away smaller creatures such as bunnies and birds. But when the dragon tries out its first, full-scale bellow, a gigantic sound emerges in a memorable double-page spread with the word “ROAR” emerging from the dragon’s wide-open mouth alongside a swarm of terrified bees. The surprised dragon is afraid of its own roar—what sort of monster might have made such a terrible sound? Now much calmer and friendlier, the dragon goes around the forest repeatedly asking, “Did you hear the monster?” The dragon spreads its wings to gather in all the other creatures, and together they make loud roaring sounds to scare away the lurking monster. The dragon is just slightly scary, with a forked tongue, sharp teeth and glowing green eyes, and its blustery bravado and emotional about-face to quivery fear will resonate with kids who can relate to both sides. The huge roaring sounds in supersized display type will also be a hit with young readers, who will want to roar along.
An engagingly subtle way to convey the power of friends in helping us face our fears, real or not. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 13, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-250-01689-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2014
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
Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient.
How do you make a new friend when an old one moves away?
Buddy (from Sorry, Grown-Ups, You Can’t Go to School, 2019, etc.) is feeling lonely. His best friend just moved across town. To make matters worse, there is a field trip coming up, and Buddy needs a bus partner. His sister, Lady, has some helpful advice for making a new pal: “You just need to find something you have in common.” Buddy loves the game Robo Chargers and karate. Surely there is someone else who does, too! Unfortunately, there isn’t. However, when a new student arrives (one day later) and asks everyone to call her Sunny instead of Alison, Buddy gets excited. No one uses his given name, either; they just call him Buddy. He secretly whispers his “real, official name” to Sunny at lunch—an indication that a true friendship is being formed. The rest of the story plods merrily along, all pieces falling exactly into place (she even likes Robo Chargers!), accompanied by Bowers’ digital art, a mix of spot art and full-bleed illustrations. Friendship-building can be an emotionally charged event in a child’s life—young readers will certainly see themselves in Buddy’s plight—but, alas, there is not much storytelling magic to be found. Buddy and his family are White, Sunny and Mr. Teacher are Black, and Buddy’s other classmates are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-30709-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
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