A cleverly illustrated ocean tale offering charming details and accessible educational elements.
A tooth fairy helps out under the sea in Morgan’s picture book.
The shark tooth fairy, Mrs. Chompers, asks the human tooth fairy, Mrs. Pearly White, to fill in for her while she’s out sick. Mrs. Pearly White agrees, chanting a magic spell that turns her into a mermaid for 24 hours. Now under the water, she uses her magical map to locate the many shark pups hiding teeth under their pillows, which she exchanges for treats (it’s not indicated exactly what these treats are). However, because sharks “have more teeth than humans do,” the list of houses Mrs. Pearly White must visit continues to grow. Soon, she runs out of treats. Resourcefully, she opens up oyster shells, collects the pearls, and swaps them for the shark pups’ teeth. After an eventful evening, she returns home in time to tuck in her daughter, Ivory. The story here is sweet and imaginative. The tale would have been more engaging, however, if readers could take part in a lengthier, problem-solving process. The author includes helpful educational resources, like a list of “Ten Ways That You Can Protect Our Waterways,” featuring practical solutions (use reusable water bottles). Civati’s brightly hued, cartoonlike portrayals feature friendly faces with big eyes and depictions of anthropomorphic undersea happenings, like shark pups tucked into their beds. The gradient backdrops, including sea and skylines, are particularly lovely. The human characters are White.
A cleverly illustrated ocean tale offering charming details and accessible educational elements.Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64307-268-5
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Mascot Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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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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