Lovely, if rather opaque.
Originally published in Belgium and the Netherlands, a fantasy about reconnecting with our humanity.
Opening spreads depict light-skinned, blue-eyed Lisa in a city, her bright-yellow slicker contrasting with the gray setting, whereas others’ moods match their dreary surroundings. “Whether at work, at home, or while walking along the streets, the people only stare at screens—as if they’ve forgotten how to look at one another.” Lada’s style recalls the work of Peter Sís or Giselle Potter, with watercolor washes and a playful, flat aesthetic to the big-eyed characters, who sometimes resemble paper dolls. So Lisa, inexplicably small on the page at this particular moment, embarks on a fantastic journey to find “a way to help people see each other again. A way for them to see the beauty of the world again.” She climbs a rock tower, sleeps in a cave, crosses a labyrinth, and encounters “a ship full of refugees,” whose “dreams are scattered in the wind.” Perhaps lost in translation from the original Dutch, Lada’s text doesn’t quite connect the dots between Lisa’s earlier observation of city dwellers’ screen addiction and the “long ribbon of people leav[ing] their homeland,” but Lisa’s trek brings her to “the edge of the world,” where she unleashes dreams represented by whimsical flora, fauna, and objects that float from a “deserted fantasy factory,” “igniting dreams. Connecting lives.” Despite the story’s perplexing moments, the visuals will entrance.
Lovely, if rather opaque. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Nov. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9798890632135
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
An instructive tale about big feelings, lightened up by a furious kid’s theatrics.
An angry child attempts to calm down.
A kid with paper-white skin, clad in a blue dress and striped tights, makes an absurd request: “Can we get a pet penguin, name it Marshmallow, and feed it carrots?” Mom, off-stage, says simply, “Not today,” and the tot transforms into a rather odd creature: a spicy nugget! The nugget is imperfectly ovoid in form, with red rosy cheeks, rage-filled dot-eyes, and a spiraling black-hole mouth. The sight gag works beautifully: When one feels truly angry, all poise disappears, leaving only a flailing ball of rage. Our protagonist hurls a teddy bear, unsuccessfully tries out a list of calming methods, and finally retreats to bed, where “I can feel my breathing; I know that I am safe.” The youngster reverts back to human form, and Mom arrives with kind words: “You are not your big feelings. You are not your angry thoughts.” The takeaway is unmistakable, especially at the story’s conclusion: It’s OK to get mad and important to practice coping strategies. The young narrator expresses emotion with fabulous vigor, though the story’s lilting rhyme scheme occasionally distracts from these outbursts with cuteness. Nonetheless, this increasingly enraged nugget-child is irresistible; anyone who’s grappled with overwhelming emotions will relate—in a word, everyone.
An instructive tale about big feelings, lightened up by a furious kid’s theatrics. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9798217042142
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
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
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