D is for delightful—readers are barking up the right tree with this tale.
A rambunctious romp with all things pup.
This exuberant alphabetical “leash on life,” a U.K. import, will please dog lovers and may even turn less enthusiastic kids into canine fanciers as they scamper through the ABCs with different dog breeds. (Everyone will appreciate “P is for poop.”) Each letter describes something a dog is doing, feeling, or being: “A is for action,” “F is for flopping,” and “M is for muddy.” (“X marks the spot for an excellent hole.”) The rousing narrative is delivered in vivacious verse, as lively as the gaggle of Labradors “leaping with lolloping joy” after a Frisbee. (This is a nifty vocabulary developer, too.) Each double-page spread features one to three letters, with each letter represented by a dog breed whose name begins with that letter. (“H is for happy” depicts a husky panting over a bone, while “I is for itch” is accompanied by a scratching Irish wolfhound.) Each letter is highlighted in large, colored, capitalized type. Dog breeds aren’t named within the text, but a helpful “dog dictionary” on the final pages identifies each pup depicted within so readers can match the dog to its letter; a pronunciation guide for some breeds would have been helpful. The illustrations are animated and cheerful. A QR code links to an audio recording of the book—a nice touch.
D is for delightful—readers are barking up the right tree with this tale. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9798887771083
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale.
The classic picture book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets a makeover for Easter as the letters of the alphabet locate and decorate eggs.
The mission is simple: “Chicka chicka peek peek. / Everybody seek seek! / Find all the eggs / in the pretty pink tree.” The letters are making their way up the flowering tree in search of the hidden eggs when a “SNEEZE!” scatters everyone and the eggs fall and crack. Luckily, a bunny hops by with a haul of new ones, which the letters then paint and bedazzle, eventually sharing the newly decorated eggs with a group of bunnies. This picture book is a successfully Easter-fied version of the original: The letters go up; the letters fall down. Truly, though, that’s all the preschool crowd needs. Chung’s illustrations are simple and familiar, a direct echo of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. The letters appear in colorful, bold, block form. The book has few added details, just focal images like the tree and its pink flowers, the colorful eggs, tufts of grass, and some friendly rabbits. The alphabet appears in order (both upper- and lowercase letters) at the book’s open and close. The rhyming text follows the iconic cadence of the source material, making for a worthy read-aloud that will keep little hands turning pages.
A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
ISBN: 9781665990646
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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