Following up on the success of Gomi's Everyone Poops (1993), Kane/Miller's latest Japanese import explores another child- intriguing topic in similar unblushing detail. Yagyu considers nostrils' shape, placement, and varied functions in different animals and in people, moving on logically to the effects of colds and such fascinating subjects as snot, nosebleeds, and nose hair. The graphically bold, childlike illustrations include a fairly clear diagram of nasal passages; neatly incorporated tips on hygiene round out a book that gives children some seldom- offered information about themselves in a playful yet forthright style that will both amuse and inform them. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-916291-50-2
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1994
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Good clean fun for fans of this long-running franchise.
The Crayon crew, having happily starred in more than two dozen books, now cleans up.
As the Crayons grab inner tubes and rubber duckies and prepare for bathtime, Daywalt keeps the laughs coming. Adult readers will be tickled by the many grown-up references: Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Gene Kelly’s “Singin’ in the Rain,” Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. But there’s plenty for younger readers: Esteban (“Pea Green” is crossed out and corrected on his label) wears a cape and snorkel as he perches on a bathtub faucet (later, he’ll sport the cape while playing pirate with Neon Red); a big Green shields the eyes of a small Green who is excitedly pointing to the spectacle of a naked (i.e., label-less) pale tan crayon; alongside Mermaid Purple, Starfish Orange, and Sea Turtle Green, a chunky My First Crayon offers an uplifting bit of wisdom about kindness. Some Crayons see bathtime as an opportunity to party, while others prefer to shower, but “they all have a splash”—interestingly, while wearing their labels. Jeffers again contributes his reliably droll crayon sketches, minimalist but with pleasing extras like a purple octopus popping up among the bathers.
Good clean fun for fans of this long-running franchise. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9780593694879
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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