This aspirational astronaut will inspire readers to follow their dreams—even the most far-fetched ones.
For this hungry hero, the sky is no limit.
The scent of a generous wedge of Swiss cheese enraptures a small rodent narrator. The mouse asserts that “everyone should take risks” and that cheese is worth risking “everything!” for. But this chunk sits on a restaurant table, and as our hero darts forth, people panic, and a broom-wielding headwaiter ousts the protagonist. So, “another day without cheese.” Then a poster depicting a big round golden moon convinces the mouse that Earth’s satellite is really the legendary “magical cheese mountain.” The protagonist begins planning before making blueprints, gathering supplies, building a rocket, sewing a spacesuit, testing, and setting forth. Surprisingly, the mouse turns out to be an ace welder and electrician. (No tiny safety glasses, though.) In mere months, everything, including a whole command center, is complete, and our hero rockets to a fanciful playland on a golden surface, where other rodent astronauts have gathered. Is the moon truly made of cheese? With all heads encased in clear helmets, no one is nibbling. But the text leaves no doubt that “dreams are always possible. Especially far-off dreams in the sky.” Zhang’s enchantingly shadowy, atmospheric art is often lit with golden highlights. Some readers might find the message a pure fantasy endorsing limitless “wanting,” while others will applaud the mouse’s indefatigable work ethic; all will be charmed.
This aspirational astronaut will inspire readers to follow their dreams—even the most far-fetched ones. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9798890631107
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre.
Ice princess Lina must navigate family and school in this early chapter read.
The family picnic is today. This is not a typical gathering, since Lina’s maternal relatives are a royal family of Windtamers who have power over the weather and live in castles floating on clouds. Lina herself is mixed race, with black hair and a tan complexion like her Asian-presenting mother’s; her Groundling father appears to be a white human. While making a grand entrance at the castle of her grandfather, the North Wind, she fails to successfully ride a gust of wind and crashes in front of her entire family. This prompts her stern grandfather to ask that Lina move in with him so he can teach her to control her powers. Desperate to avoid this, Lina and her friend Claudia, who is black, get Lina accepted at the Hilltop Science and Arts Academy. Lina’s parents allow her to go as long as she does lessons with grandpa on Saturdays. However, fitting in at a Groundling school is rough, especially when your powers start freak winter storms! With the story unfurling in diary format, bright-pink–highlighted grayscale illustrations help move the plot along. There are slight gaps in the storytelling and the pacing is occasionally uneven, but Lina is full of spunk and promotes self-acceptance.
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-35393-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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