Captivating musings on what happens when we drift off for the night.
If you knew what was happening while you were fast asleep, you’d wake up right away.
This enjoyable picture book begins as a typically hushed, lull-your-kid-to-sleep rhyming tale replete with cute animals settling down. It quickly turns into a vehicle for the author’s witty commentaries on less sedate nighttime doings—nocturnal creatures getting up to busy hijinks in the night. Raccoons raid trash cans, skunks tiptoe through the night, and crickets sing their hearts out. The author interrupts the verse to comment on what’s going on—that skunk is probably just making her way to bed, and those crickets are singing lullabies before going to sleep…right? Near the end, she imagines what several critters might get up to at night: Perhaps the bats don fancy clothes, and the fox prepares a lavish dinner. But who knows? Most of us are snoozing, so we don’t really know, do we? This isn’t your ordinary sleepy-time picture book, but it’s fun and may help kids relate to and dream about other sleepers. The contrast between the factual and fanciful material may confuse some readers, though. Grown-ups, beware: If youngsters imagine exciting adventures occurring while they’re supposed to be falling asleep, uh-oh…The illustrations, rendered in acrylic gouache, watercolor, and colored pencil and adjusted digitally, are delightful.
Captivating musings on what happens when we drift off for the night. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9781665931335
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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