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
An encouraging story for those who struggle to be heard.
A timid boy learns to summon his own internal strength.
School is filled with the raucous sounds of kids laughing, shouting, and playing. Quiet, bespectacled Xavier is swallowed up by all that noise. Whenever he tries to speak, his voice gets stuck in his throat. Even when other children make a friendly effort, “his small voice [can’t] find its way out.” Inspired by a new comic hero named Super Saleem, Xavier starts drawing his own superhero world. He fills a sketchbook with characters who have the qualities he wishes he could possess. When a sudden rainstorm drenches his drawings, another student helps Xavier dry them off. Could this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship? Afterward, overwhelmed with anxiety and what ifs, Xavier starts to worry. But he feels bolstered by a superhero strength deep inside. Though Xavier’s outward attempts at trying to be loud fail miserably, he eventually finds a way to shine—by relying on his huge imagination. Peppered with calming techniques, this narrative will speak to many young people grappling with anxiety as Franklin creates a safe environment for introspection and growth. Gentle cartoon art brings the action to life; Xavier’s fantasies of flying alongside superhero characters add child appeal. Xavier and his family present Black and are cued Muslim; his school is diverse.
An encouraging story for those who struggle to be heard. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781959244035
Page Count: 48
Publisher: The Innovation Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug.
What to do when you’re a prickly animal hankering for a hug? Why, find another misfit animal also searching for an embrace!
Sweet but “tricky to hug” little Hedgehog is down in the dumps. Wandering the forest, Hedgehog begs different animals for hugs, but each rejects them. Readers will giggle at their panicked excuses—an evasive squirrel must suddenly count its three measly acorns; a magpie begins a drawn-out song—but will also be indignant on poor hedgehog’s behalf. Hedgehog has the appealingly pink-cheeked softness typical of Dunbar’s art, and the gentle watercolors are nonthreatening, though she also captures the animals’ genuine concern about being poked. A wise owl counsels the dejected hedgehog that while the prickles may frighten some, “there’s someone for everyone.” That’s when Hedgehog spots a similarly lonely tortoise, rejected due to its “very hard” shell but perfectly matched for a spiky new friend. They race toward each other until the glorious meeting, marked with swoony peach swirls and overjoyed grins. At this point, readers flip the book to hear the same gloomy tale from the tortoise’s perspective until it again culminates in that joyous hug, a book turn that’s made a pleasure with thick creamy paper and solid binding.
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-571-34875-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
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