Evocative, funny, and irresistibly sweet, this is destined to be a family favorite.
A young goat tries to make it through another day on the farm in Dolan’s picture book.
Maybelline, a young goat on a small farm, misses her morning brushing because her friend is sick. This small setback sets the tone for the rest of her day: She irritates Aunt Ivy and earns a bonk on the head, pricks her lip on a bramble, and gets stuck in a fence. A spilled bucket of acorns, a visit from the vet, and a nip from Mina the herding dog round out Maybelline’s terrible day. But when bedtime comes, Maybelline snuggles down, dreaming of the fun she’ll have tomorrow. Dolan’s picture book will surely grab the attention of young readers with her vividly drawn idyllic farm, The Finca. Kharkovenko’s full-page illustrations are evocative, with the characterizations of the goats endearing and expressive enough that readers of all ages will enjoy them. Her vibrant, colorful artwork helps tell the story beautifully. Pre-readers can easily follow Maybelline’s bad-day adventure through the enchanting images alone. Dolan’s fast-paced storytelling is fun, and the humorous mishaps will delight young children. Her informal writing style may not suit everyone, but for most it will fit perfectly with the rural charm of the story. As part of the Maybelline series, this book will leave new readers excited to explore the other books.
Evocative, funny, and irresistibly sweet, this is destined to be a family favorite.Pub Date: May 18, 2026
ISBN: 9798994352809
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Barn Antics Books
Review Posted Online: July 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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