A stale, unfunny tale of duped mice unprepared for a world with predators
Is the cat really a cat?
A large rat lurks behind a tree, spying on three anthropomorphic mice children as they scamper to their one-room schoolhouse, each carrying a block of cheese for their teacher. As the teacher instructs them in “Today’s Lesson: Recognizing DANGER”—in this case, recognizing cats—the students look respectively bored, surprised, and worried. Only several beats after the figure of a cat creeps through the window of the schoolroom does the teacher relinquish the lesson to chaos, shouting “A CAT!” and fleeing the scene in distress along with the students. As the “cat” turns its zippered back to readers, the text asks a good question: “IS this a cat?” Readers who remember the rat will know the answer. Only when an actual cat makes a cameo at the end is there any hint of a true surprise, but it is unclear if readers are meant to laugh at or be alarmed by the implication that the cat has consumed the rat, who only ever wanted cheese in the first place. The clear lines, bright colors, and cartoonish feel of the illustrations may appeal to at least some of the book’s intended audience, but the gag is both drawn out too long and not particularly funny. Moreover, for readers who must endure heightened school security against violent intruders, the attempt at comedy may fall particularly flat.
A stale, unfunny tale of duped mice unprepared for a world with predators . (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1574-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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