Open Bearnard’s book for an alternative concept of bravery with humor, sweetness, and friendship at the core.
Bearnard gets the chance to be in a book and must embrace his sense of self in the process.
“I have always wanted to be in a book!” declares Bearnard as he reads his invitation from the Queen of Storybook Land. The anthropomorphic (though unclothed) bear imagines his story being read by children (with diverse skin tones) at bedtime, in school, or on the playground. Illustrator Saburi’s chunky black outlines couple with cozy pink, blue, and brown fills, making for relaxing illustrations that nevertheless pop. Most spreads contain a gentle floral wallpaper pattern in the background, building a homey feel, bolstered by bold typeface reminiscent of handwriting. Bearnard brainstorms with duck friend Gertie about the possibility of being a knight, an astronaut, or “Super Bear!” in the storybook. This provides an entry point for caregivers to engage with children about what they would be if starring in a book. Bearnard’s confidence waffles as he tries to emulate classic bear stories without success. Gertie guides Bearnard to see himself as brave and worthy just by being himself. Underwood’s social-emotional narrative and the action-oriented illustrations allow for layered reading—if a child is not ready to discuss what might make them brave, they will most certainly be entertained by the imaginative adventures of Bearnard and Gertie.
Open Bearnard’s book for an alternative concept of bravery with humor, sweetness, and friendship at the core. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-62779-757-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.
After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780063436121
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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