A warm wintertime read with a message for any time of year.
Little Mole has a great big heart.
Little Mole has found an enormous mushroom in the woods and decided to give it to his beloved Mama for Christmas. After he works hard to pick it, he encounters several woodland creatures in need as he carries the large, red-and-white mushroom home to his mother. Bit by bit, he gives away parts of the stem to hungry Little Squirrel and to tired Little Mouse, who needs somewhere soft to rest his head. Then he gives the cap to Little Chipmunk to use as an umbrella. By the time he reaches his mother, Little Mole has only a tiny piece of the mushroom left for her. She is nonetheless pleased and says she will make them soup for their Christmas dinner. Her gratitude only increases when Little Mole sadly tells her what happened to the rest of the big mushroom. A proud Mama says, “your kindness is the biggest, most perfect Christmas gift I have ever received,” which provides Little Mole with affirmation, reassurance, and a holiday lesson about the importance of generosity. The softly textured illustrations reinforce the gentle coziness of the story. The animals are anthropomorphic, though only Little Mole and Mama are fully dressed; most of the animals Little Mole encounters wear nothing, underscoring their relative neediness next to the moles’ evident prosperity. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.3-by-18.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 39.1% of actual size.)
A warm wintertime read with a message for any time of year. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5064-4875-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Beaming Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends.
Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both!
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!” The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) highlight the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2008, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank.
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85213-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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