An energetic and engaging tale that introduces French phrases to English speakers.
In Joannides’ illustrated children’s book, an adventuresome brother-sister duo learns French while helping a lost flamingo find his way to a shrimp festival.
Meli and Mac, two pale-skinned, English-speaking siblings, plan to travel with their family to France. One day, bored of studying French, Mac proposes that they go on one of their signature expeditions. The pair pack up and head to Serendipity Forest and up a tree, where they encounter a “very chic but weary looking flamingo” from France. The flamingo, Freddie, got lost on his way to a “Shrimp Extravaganza”—the biggest shrimp-eating festival for flamingos—because he struggled to read the English on the road signs. He’s been flying for days with no shrimp or algae to give his feathers their signature pink hue. Meli and Mac decide to help him and, armed with their “magic map,” they make it to his destination. The siblings enjoy themselves at the festival, catching shrimp for Freddie before they return home, where Mac resumes studying French. Joannides’ text is lively and entertaining with a clear storyline that young readers will enjoy. Ende’s full-color, painterly illustrations add to the story, and French phrases are peppered throughout with footnoted translations to encourage youngsters to learn new words. One drawback is that the focus on the French language may somewhat limit its accessibility for readers who are unfamiliar with French pronunciation. However, the book’s focus on the importance of multilingualism for cultural understanding is one that many will find refreshing.
An energetic and engaging tale that introduces French phrases to English speakers.Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2023
ISBN: 9781839527265
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Brown Dog Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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