As cheery as a sunny afternoon.
The animals of Acorn Village enjoy a busy summer day full of quintessential warm weather activities.
In A Cozy Winter Day (2024), the villagers modeled the hygge life, but summer brings with it plenty of opportunities for coziness, too. A pair of rabbits help a family of beavers garden; two youngsters build castles in their sandbox. To escape the scorching afternoon sun, the animals take refuge under a “sun-brella,” splash in a kiddie pool, and sip lemonade. The highlight of the day comes with a lazy trip down the babbling brook to the Otters’ swimming hole—brought to life in an especially captivating image that sees the animals in floaties, on paddle boards, and swinging off ropes into the water. As the sun sets, the animals gather round a campfire for stories and marshmallows before drifting off to sleep with plans for another cozy summer day tomorrow. Wheeler’s text is soothingly matter-of-fact, but the book’s real appeal lies in her detailed illustrations, which offer plenty for readers to linger over. The visuals have a retro vibe; no devices are to be found, and one DIYer even churns her own ice cream. The wonderfully lazy feeling of summer comes through on each page, particularly those tired and sun-soaked moments that manifest only after a day of heat and fun. The characters are all animals; the rabbit family is headed by two fathers, and one of the bunnies uses a wheelchair.
As cheery as a sunny afternoon. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 26, 2026
ISBN: 9780593617236
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
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
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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