If Adamson can make so much entertaining hay out of a simple day in the backyard, it’s likely we’ll be seeing more Douglas...
The mystery of new neighbors on the other side of a high fence leads Nancy and her dog, Douglas, to a bilingual surprise in a confident follow-up to Douglas, You Need Glasses! (2016).
One day when Nancy and Douglas hit a ball through a small hole in their fence, it’s rolled back. After sending over a toy train with a message of greeting, they receive messages in Spanish including, “¡Hola!” and “Queremos conocerte” (“Hello” and “We’d like to meet you,” respectively; an opening glossary is provided for those who don’t read Spanish). This makes the duo so curious that Nancy hatches a series of elaborate, graph-paper–diagrammed schemes to somehow scale the fence. When, thanks to Douglas, the two finally meet their Spanish-speaking neighbors, another kid and dog who were also busy trying to meet them. It ends with plans for an escalator and water slide, because of course it does. Adamson’s wit extends not only to some bits of subtle visual humor (some birds build a nest on Douglas’ head while they wait), but to the paper plans themselves, which are as needlessly elaborate as they are funny. If there’s a missed opportunity it’s that readers don’t get to know the Spanish-writing pair at all, even their names. Nancy and the neighbor kid both have pale skin.
If Adamson can make so much entertaining hay out of a simple day in the backyard, it’s likely we’ll be seeing more Douglas stories. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6530-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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