A clever religious parable, playful in the telling.
Divided in their beliefs about what sort of cheese the moon is made from, three major factions in the mouse world plan a lunar mission to find out for certain in Creel’s picture book.
From the moment a mouse child first lays eyes upon the shining moon, he believes that the moon is made of cheese. That belief passes down through generations, and in time it leads to disagreement: What sort of cheese is it? Three major faiths emerge: the Cheddarics, the Swissologists, and Goudists, each with followers devout to the point of fanaticism. Still, they work together to send a rocket to the moon. There, three mouse representatives find...only dust and rocks. Many of the faithful back on Earth refuse to believe such blasphemy, but one mouse child decides it still loves the moon—whatever it might be made of. Creel and illustrator Kres concoct a fun little fable that will both amuse adults and encourage children to favor heartfelt faith over dogma. The book is divided between dark-backgrounded (with white text) two-page spreads that play to the moon’s mystical appeal and single-page white backgrounds (with black text) against which the mice squabble or plan their mission. The prose is refined and offers plenty of memorable lines. (“The Swissologists made their own announcement: ‘In the most holiness we believe!’”) Kres’ digital artwork offers serviceable landscapes and depicts mouse protagonists full of vitality and character.
A clever religious parable, playful in the telling.Pub Date: June 5, 2024
ISBN: 979-8869367044
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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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