This will be fun for a percentage of preschoolers; that’s about it.
The Three Bears invite other fairy-tale characters to a Christmas Eve celebration and end up with their paws full.
All the Christmas festivities are set up for the guests’ enjoyment, but the party quickly becomes a mess. Rapunzel’s hair gets wrapped around the tree, and then she stumbles, knocking the wind out of Jack Frost, which causes a mighty, destructive gust. The squall is so powerful that Santa’s sleigh, in the air over the other side of the woods, is pulled to the ground and crashes into Baby Bear Lagoon. Sopping wet, Santa goes looking for help, flashlight in hand, and finds the Bears’ cottage. He is helping himself to Papa Bear’s clothes when he discovers there is a crowd, and they are all happy to come to his rescue. Working together, they make a plan and save Santa’s sleigh, the presents, and Christmas. Santa stays at the party a while before going off to deliver presents. Children familiar with the characters, like the Three Little Pigs and Red Riding Hood, will get a kick out of pointing them out in the bright, cartoonlike illustrations, which are effective in their storytelling despite being a bit garish. But despite nods to the fairy-tale originals, the actual plot is something of a bust. Santa is White, and the human and elf characters are fairly diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This will be fun for a percentage of preschoolers; that’s about it. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5460-1391-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: WorthyKids/Ideals
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
