A dreamy homage that’s its own budding classic.
After the Wild arrives, Eleanor transforms into the wild thing she knew was hidden inside.
Adult readers who see the phrase “wild things” will likely think back to Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are (1963). Indeed, this lush work pays tribute to that celebrated tale. Besides emotionally resonant elements such as Eleanor’s wolf stuffie or a bed set amid a verdant forest, both books offer profound meditations on what it means to embrace the “wild inside.” One night, pale-skinned, dark-haired Eleanor dreams of the “things with fur and fin,” and when she awakens, foliage and forest creatures are streaming through her window. Mimicking the animals gives her the courage to be who she’s always longed to be, to draw her “own kind of tracks,” to howl and be “noisy” and “free.” Martin’s language rises like a crescendo, starting out with timid statements that become increasingly bold as Eleanor joyously rewilds. After a leap and tumble toward a chandelier—or perhaps the moon?—the tired, satiated child heads to bed, where a parental-like figure offers reassuring words of love. The wild slips away, but Eleanor has changed. She’s smudged, leaf-covered, and newly “bloomed.” Luscious full-bleed spreads are graceful and expansive. Natural tones, especially springy greens, seem rife with possibility, while the visiting animals are charmingly bestial. Every aspect, like a bunny barrette hinting at Eleanor’s untamed potential, feels nuanced and purposeful.
A dreamy homage that’s its own budding classic. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217023981
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, if oft-told, story.
A plush toy rabbit bonds with a boy and watches him grow into adulthood.
The boy receives the blue bunny for his birthday and immediately becomes attached to it. Unbeknownst to him, the ungendered bunny is sentient; it engages in dialogue with fellow toys, giving readers insight into its thoughts. The bunny's goal is to have grand adventures when the boy grows up and no longer needs its company. The boy spends many years playing imaginatively with the bunny, holding it close during both joyous and sorrowful times and taking it along on family trips. As a young man, he marries, starts a family, and hands over the beloved toy to his toddler-aged child in a crib. The bunny's epiphany—that he does not need to wait for great adventures since all his dreams have already come true in the boy's company—is explicitly stated in the lengthy text, which is in many ways similar to The Velveteen Rabbit (1922). The illustrations, which look hand-painted but were digitally created, are moderately sentimental with an impressionistic dreaminess (one illustration even includes a bunny-shaped cloud in the sky) and a warm glow throughout. The depiction of a teenage male openly displaying his emotions—hugging his beloved childhood toy for example—is refreshing. All human characters present as White expect for one of the boy’s friends who is Black.
A sweet, if oft-told, story. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72825-448-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
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