Foxy fun.
The coast is clear! It’s a perfect chance for a colony of bunnies to dance, play, and sing.
Brief rhyming phrases lay the groundwork for the bunnies’ activities. “Everybunny dance! // And clap your paws, / and twist and twirl, / and shake your tail, / and wiggle and whirl.” After dancing, the bunnies pull out their instruments: “Everybunny play! // And bang a drum, / and play the flute, / and blow a horn, / a-tooty-toot!” Just as the bunnies are singing, the villain appears: a fox! “Everybunny run!” As the bunnies hide, they watch the fox dance, play a clarinet, and perform a somersault. But the fox is lonely and sad without an audience. Surprise! Everybunny claps and invites the fox to join in with their fun. The attractive and creative illustrations paint the bunnies to match the text’s exuberance. Some are in brown or red polka dots, some sport bow ties, and some wear ballet shoes or tutus. The fox makes a dramatic entrance with just its vivid red head spreading menacingly across two pages. The page composition as a whole is effective, with good page turns and focal points and with some words highlighted. There are several opportunities for using the book with children, in addition to reading the story. It could be a challenging counting book (there are as many as 24 or 26 bunnies per page) and/or a game for storytime with kids acting it out (with a tolerant adult).
Foxy fun. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-9822-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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