Young readers may not quite make the leap from a desolate frog missing winter to a cranky child not wanting to sleep, but...
Always displaying a penchant for the dramatic, Petty and Boldt’s young amphibian is back for a fourth installment of childhood angst—bedtime.
The tiny frog is so excited for winter he can’t contain himself. He is going to have a blast throwing snowballs, drinking hot cocoa, and cozying up in warm clothing. But his friend, a wise owl, breaks some bad news: “Frogs hibernate.” The young frog’s flippant response? “I don’t know what that means, but I don’t like it.” Owl explains, but the frog doesn’t want to hear it. He has to burrow in the mud all winter, while his friends have endless fun? The embodiment of pure despair, the young tot opens his mouth and eyes wide with terror, his horrified expression taking up an entire spread. Luckily, a compromise is reached—one that doesn’t bode well for his nonhibernating friends. Silliness abounds, with a nod toward the nature of coldbloodedness, as Boldt variously shows a crispy, smoldering frog near the winter fire and an ice-block frog, frozen in place.
Young readers may not quite make the leap from a desolate frog missing winter to a cranky child not wanting to sleep, but it’s a fun read-aloud that will at least make bedtime more enjoyable. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6896-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
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
Sentimental but effective.
A book aimed at easing separation anxiety and reinforcing bonds.
Twins Liza and Jeremy awaken during a thunderstorm and go to their mother for comfort. She reassures them that they’re safe and says, “You know we’re always together, no matter what,” when they object to returning to bed. She then explains that when she was a child her mother told her about the titular “Invisible String,” encouraging them to envision it as a link between them no matter what. “People who love each other are always connected by a very special String made of love,” she tells them, reinforcing this idea as they proceed to imagine various scenarios, fantastic and otherwise, that might cause them to be separated in body. She also affirms that this string can “reach all the way to Uncle Brian in heaven” and that it doesn’t go away if she’s angry with them or when they have conflicts. As they go to bed, reassured, the children, who present white, imagine their friends and diverse people around the world connected with invisible strings, promoting a vision of global unity and empathy. While the writing often feels labored and needlessly repetitive, Lew-Vriethoff’s playful cartoon art enhances and lightens the message-driven text, which was originally published in 2000 with illustrations by Geoff Stevenson.
Sentimental but effective. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 30, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-48623-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2018
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