Unfortunately, quality titles about Mardi Gras for young readers are scarce, and this one doesn’t fit the bill.
Wedding two topics with kid appeal—in this case dinosaurs and Mardi Gras—does not always result in a winning combination.
The stanzas in de Las Casas’ latest offering are written in the cadence of the famous song “Mardi Gras Mambo” that fills the streets of Louisiana every year during carnival season. Each stanza ends the way the song lyrics do, with the phrase “Down in New Orleans.” While this promising strategy should have readers bopping their heads and singing the words out loud, the awkward rhythm and rhyme cause the tale to fall decidedly flat. Take, for example, what should be a rousing finale: “T-Rex waves goodbye until next year / The happy crowd chants a carnival cheer / It’s a jumping Dinosaur Mardi Gras / Hooray for all the jaws and claws.” Additionally, the multisyllabic and difficult-to-pronounce dinosaur names that pepper the text don’t exactly trip off the tongue, a fact that would make sharing the story with groups of children a challenge. What’s more, Gentry’s watercolor illustrations feature what appear to be angry and confused creatures barreling down New Orleans streets. All are bedecked with beads, and some sport eyeglasses, crowns, umbrellas and boots, but their expressions, for the most part, don’t suggest that they are enjoying this experience.
Unfortunately, quality titles about Mardi Gras for young readers are scarce, and this one doesn’t fit the bill. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-58980-966-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pelican
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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