In a cozy cave in the woods, a bear family has just settled down to bed. But a loud roar wakes Baby Bear, and he can’t sleep...
Any fear can be faced down when you’re with the ones you love.
In a cozy cave in the woods, a bear family has just settled down to bed. But a loud roar wakes Baby Bear, and he can’t sleep until he knows what made it. So, off they all tromp through the forest. Sounds made by a deer, a frog, and a crow stop the family in its tracks, but when their sources are pointed out, Daddy laughs and says, “You see?…There’s no monster out there. / And anyway, nothing can frighten a bear.” But unbeknownst to him, his family has been dwindling, clever page turns working with the rhymes to prompt readers to chime in: Mom’s caught in a tree, Ben falls in the stream, and Grace is stuck in the muck. When father and youngest finally realize they are alone, they do get frightened. But all turns out right in the end, the five bears linking hands to return to bed and discover the snorer in their midst. Metcalf’s mixed-media illustrations use starlight, a full moon, and Daddy Bear’s lantern to illuminate the night. The scribbly-furred cartoon bears are not scary at all, and the other forest denizens are equally cute and nonthreatening; even the sight that so frightens Daddy and Baby Bear will not frighten readers.Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9627-6
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
Treat little ones to this sweet, entertaining holiday story.
It can be a spooky thrill to go trick-or-treating for the first time.
Little Monster is excited to experience this Halloween rite of passage; the green Martian costume fits perfectly. Yet, as Little Monster and Papa venture out, the young one is leery. Scary things are all around: a pirate, witch, and ghost. On Little Monster’s street, it’s less the costumes than the wearers that look strange, given that residents are monsters themselves, albeit cute, smiling ones with big eyes. As they walk about, Little Monster begins to feel braver with Papa’s help. The pair’s final stop—a scary house with a graveyard for a front lawn—ushers in a surprise ending. This cute addition to the holiday shelf is by the creators of Go to School, Little Monster (2015) and the third in the Little Monster series. Told in rollicking rhymes, the story delivers humorous, not-too-scary chills for the youngest readers. The portrayal of a warm, patient relationship between child and father is welcome, as is the sight of a parent accompanying a child on nighttime trick-or-treating rounds, not universally presented in Halloween books. The delightful, expressive, atmospheric illustrations depict adorable, multicolored monsters—it’s definitely a diverse neighborhood. Winsome, lavender Little Monster, befanged, wide-eyed, noseless, and bearing a spearlike tail, subs for kids who anticipate and feel wary on their own first Halloween forays. Papa is blue and also has large eyes, fangs, a tail, and no nose.
Treat little ones to this sweet, entertaining holiday story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5420-9208-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Despite the glittering images, this story is a bit lackluster.
In singer Amerie’s picture-book debut, a biracial child goes on a magical adventure, with ancestors rooting them on.
Full-bleed spreads depict a dark-skinned infant being nurtured by a Black- and Korean-coded family and growing into an energetic youngster with light brown locs and a high fade. As the family sits down to a meal, the protagonist wanders off, their eye caught by an old photograph of a smiling, Black ancestor in overalls. When the child reaches out toward the picture, they fly through the frame and emerge in a jewel-toned forest. The woods are full of glowing, dancing Black and Asian ancestors. Accompanied by rhyming, inspirational text, the narrative winds along with the jubilant kid as they dance through the trees, chase an otherworldly white creature, ride a fiery bird (perhaps inspired by the Samjok-o from Korean mythology), and meet a person in a Korean hanbok before returning home. Younger readers may enjoy the singsong words alongside illustrator Figueroa’s colorful, dreamlike art, but overall, the narrative feels somewhat unstructured and unsatisfying. Platitudes like “You will do big things / That just might change the world. // And you will do small things / That may help one boy or girl” are too timeworn to stand out, and the youngster’s hop from one supernatural montage to the next is more dizzying than enchanting. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Despite the glittering images, this story is a bit lackluster. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81702-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
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