A tender reminder that when even a hug won’t help, friends are always there.
Will anything get Tortoise unstuck?
In a quest to climb a rock, Tortoise has gotten stuck upside down. Now Tortoise is quite upset. Rabbit suggests digging a hole (“That’s what I do when I’m upset”). Tortoise is too unhappy to dig. Fox brings a smelly boot, but Tortoise is too sad and angry for stinky footwear. Even Hedgehog’s offer of a hug won’t help…in fact, it makes Tortoise roar! Owl suggests Hedgehog try to understand how Tortoise feels. After replicating Tortoise’s fall and flip, Hedgehog does. Then, Hedgehog listens while Tortoise talks, and after that, they are quiet together, both on their backs watching clouds until…Hedgehog honks, and that makes Tortoise laugh. Hedgehog helps Tortoise up, and Tortoise says, “If I ever get stuck again… // …then I hope I get stuck with you!” In their fourth outing, Hedgehog and friends show that even the hugs they are famous for can’t solve every problem. McLaughlin and Dunbar have, once again, with simple text and soft watercolors depicting pudgy woodland creatures, effectively explained a complex topic. Useful, instructive, not the least bit didactic, this is a strong conversation starter but also a sweet picture book about two good friends. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A tender reminder that when even a hug won’t help, friends are always there. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-571-37434-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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
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