This story about finding one’s legs doesn’t stand up.
A tadpole reluctantly finds his land legs.
Tad loves life in the pond with his friends, playing underwater baseball and using his tail to defend against bullies. When the inevitable progress of a frog’s life cycle leads to his developing legs, he worries that he’s “turning into a monster.” When Aunt Salamander reassures him that he’s “just growing up,” the young amphibian grumps that he doesn’t want to. He mopes around, railing against the loss of his beloved tail and seething with jealousy around younger tadpoles. A sinister snake tries to gain his trust, agreeing that “Legs are useless,” and tries to lure him closer. Under threat, “Tad’s legs reacted naturally. With very little effort, he sprang high out of the water and landed beside the pond!” The illustrations, mostly of underwater scenes, are lovely, fluid and lush in a muted palette and populated with a variety of expressive aquatic creatures. Unfortunately, the story, translated into English from German, is encumbered by unnecessary detail, the prose is stilted, and the dialogue teeters between whiny and preachy. Children with an attachment to little green hoppers will enjoy the illustrations, but caregivers reading it aloud will wish for something better.
This story about finding one’s legs doesn’t stand up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-988-8341-92-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: May 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
No laugh track required: This story should generate genuine giggles.
Saturday Night Live mainstay Thompson makes his picture-book debut with the tale of a young rabbit who discovers that being the class clown is harder than it looks.
To make a splash on his first day of school, Bunny decides to adopt a new persona: Funny Bunny. He performs his act for his classmates, who are a tough audience…or is the material the problem? (Sample joke: “What town does milk come from? Milk-waukee!”) Actually, Bunny wins over one classmate: Hedgehog thinks Bunny has comedy chops and just needs practice. This gives Bunny an idea: Why don’t they work together? (Thompson’s co-author knows something about collaborating on jokes: Tucker has been an SNL writer for two decades.) Bunny and Hedgehog’s writing sessions are fruitful, and when Bunny tries out his new material on his classmates, he brings down the house. Clearly, teamwork and persistence pay off in this silly yet heartening tale, although laughs aren’t Bunny’s only reward. In Hedgehog he has found a friend (and, from the looks of things, perhaps a manager). The book’s jokes, including two pages’ worth that conclude the story, will be manna for punsters, who presumably aren’t supposed to notice that there’s no qualitative difference between the jokes that amused Bunny’s class and the ones that bombed. Neal’s appealing digital art focuses heavily on reaction shots from an all-animal cast living in a world of amusement park colors.
No laugh track required: This story should generate genuine giggles. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781250364814
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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