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
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated.
Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s classic alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets the Halloween treatment.
Chung follows the original formula to the letter. In alphabetical order, each letter climbs to the top of a tree. They are knocked back to the ground in a jumble before climbing up in sequence again. In homage to the spooky holiday theme, they scale a “creaky old tree,” and a ghostly jump scare causes the pileup. The chunky, colorful art is instantly recognizable. The charmingly costumed letters (“H swings a tail. / I wears a patch. J and K don / bows that don’t match”) are set against a dark backdrop, framed by pages with orange or purple borders. The spreads feature spiderwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. The familiar rhyme cadence is marred by the occasional clunky or awkward phrase; in particular, the adapted refrain of “Chicka chicka tricka treat” offers tongue-twisting fun, but it’s repeatedly followed by the disappointing half-rhyme “Everybody sneaka sneak.” Even this odd construction feels shoehorned into place, since “sneaking” makes little sense when every character in the book is climbing together. The final line of the book ends on a more satisfying note, with “Everybody—time to eat!”
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781665954785
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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