Slightly message-heavy but delightful and accessible nevertheless.
In the fifth Big Foot and Little Foot book, Hugo and Boone go on a moneymaking adventure.
The toy store downtown is hosting a special appearance by Sasquatch celebrity Mad Marvin, who’s selling his Marvelous Monster Magnet. To earn money for one, aspiring cryptozoologists Hugo (a Sasquatch) and Boone (a human, White) take a couple of delivery jobs. In the woods on a run, they’re pursued by something mysterious that turns out to be a Sasquatch wearing a hat and riding a moose (drawn, like other illustrations, to emphasize silly playfulness). He offers the boys a chance to split a treasure he’s looking for with him, giving them directions. The directions bring the boys to a hill where, while the boys play a somersaulting game, a sneaky gremlin steals the package they’re delivering! They trade Boone’s new shoes to get it back, but Boone struggles in the woods without them. Throughout the straightforward plot, delivered in Potter’s characteristically breezy style, Hugo mentally makes a list of things he envies about humans—such as cool shoes and pockets—and then crosses the items off as he realizes Sasquatches have their own strengths. After the deliveries, Hugo finds a way to recover Boone’s shoes, and the boys learn the wholesome truth of the treasure. They decide they like things just the way they are—Hugo a Sasquatch and Boone a human—and that they’ll skip the Monster Magnet for monster-finding adventures instead.
Slightly message-heavy but delightful and accessible nevertheless. (Fantasy. 5-9)Pub Date: April 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4324-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes.
Oscar winner McConaughey offers intriguing life observations.
The series of pithy, wry comments, each starting with the phrase “Just because,” makes clear that each of us is a mass of contradictions: “Just because we’re friends, / doesn’t mean you can’t burn me. / Just because I’m stubborn, / doesn’t mean that you can’t turn me.” Witty, digitally rendered vignettes portray youngsters diverse in terms of race and ability (occasionally with pets looking on) dealing with everything from friendship drama to a nerve-wracking footrace. “Just because I’m dirty, / doesn’t mean I can’t get clean” is paired with an image of a youngster taking a bath while another character (possibly an older sibling) sits nearby, smiling. “Just because you’re nice, / doesn’t mean you can’t get mean” depicts the older one berating the younger one for tracking mud into the house. The artwork effectively brings to life the succinct, rhyming text and will help readers make sense of it. Perhaps, after studying the illustrations and gaining further insight into the comments, kids will reread and reflect upon them further. The final page unites the characters from earlier pages with a reassuring message for readers: “Just because the sun has set, / doesn’t mean it will not rise. / Because every day is a gift, / each one a new surprise. BELIEVE IT.” As a follow-up, readers should be encouraged to make their own suggestions to complete the titular phrase. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593622032
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted...
Reinvention is the name of the game for two blobs of clay.
A blue-eyed gray blob and a brown-eyed brown blob sit side by side, unsure as to what’s going to happen next. The gray anticipates an adventure, while the brown appears apprehensive. A pair of hands descends, and soon, amid a flurry of squishing and prodding and poking and sculpting, a handsome gray wolf and a stately brown owl emerge. The hands disappear, leaving the friends to their own devices. The owl is pleased, but the wolf convinces it that the best is yet to come. An ear pulled here and an extra eye placed there, and before you can shake a carving stick, a spurt of frenetic self-exploration—expressed as a tangled black scribble—reveals a succession of smug hybrid beasts. After all, the opportunity to become a “pig-e-phant” doesn’t come around every day. But the sound of approaching footsteps panics the pair of Picassos. How are they going to “fix [them]selves” on time? Soon a hippopotamus and peacock are staring bug-eyed at a returning pair of astonished hands. The creative naiveté of the “clay mates” is perfectly captured by Petty’s feisty, spot-on dialogue: “This was your idea…and it was a BAD one.” Eldridge’s endearing sculpted images are photographed against the stark white background of an artist’s work table to great effect.
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own . (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-30311-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
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