A thoughtful and important tale of teamwork, self-advocacy, and compassionate friends.
A group of animals helps a girl complete her least favorite task in this illustrated children’s book.
Miranda, a light-brown–skinned girl with green hair, is unhappy when her mother wants to wash and style her tresses before visiting Grandma. The girl runs into the woods to escape the dreaded chore. When she gets hungry, a tree offers her an apple and informs its cohorts of the girl’s presence to keep her safe. Miranda is upset when her hair snags on a bush. She asserts: “That’s what it feels like when Mom combs my hair. She pulls and she tugs, and it hurts everywhere.” Although the trees and the wild animals try to persuade Miranda to go home, she refuses. So, they team up to wash, brush, and gently style her hair. Each animal pitches in to help. For example, hummingbirds use “their small claws like a fine-tooth comb,” and a squirrel employs “her tail like a soft bristle brush.” The critters even use a honeysuckle vine to bind and braid the girl’s hair. Miranda is thrilled with the final look and tells her new pals: “Usually I hate this, you know that I do. But this wasn’t so bad! And it’s all thanks to you.” Miranda’s mom is relieved when her gleeful daughter returns home safe, and she is surprised by her new hairstyle. Miranda encourages readers to advocate for themselves: “If you’re the owner of frizzy green hair, please tell your mom to handle with care. It doesn’t take much to be ever so brave, when someone knows how to make green hair behave.” In Whyatt’s engaging tale, Miranda is a relatable protagonist. Her predicament will be significant to many young readers, especially those who also struggle with hair-care tasks. The overarching message here, emphasizing kindness, understanding, and collaboration during difficult times, is laudable. Wolfe and Valenti’s hand-drawn, digitally painted images offer cheerful scenery. Readers will particularly appreciate the enchanting forest sights and Miranda’s sweet-looking animal friends. The illustrations showing Miranda throughout the hair washing and styling process are clever, including when the hummingbirds create braids with their beaks.
A thoughtful and important tale of teamwork, self-advocacy, and compassionate friends.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2022
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
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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