A hopeful, happy parable of ecological stewardship.
A child befriends a small octopus while visiting the beach.
Clad in a white sundress, the dark-haired, light-skinned young protagonist walks along the sand hand in hand with a parent. The child spots a tiny octopus, made infinitely cuter by an expressive humanlike face gracing its bright red mantle. The octopus is tangled in a plastic six-pack ring, and the child extracts it before placing it in a small bowl. Seeing how unhappy the creature is to be caged, the youngster quickly returns it to the water. The tiny tentacled swimmer in turn rewards the child, shrinking the youngster down and giving the little one the power to breathe underwater. In quiet bliss, the pair swim down deep together, admiring colorful fish and coral, a cave of sparkly shells, and a friendly sea turtle, whom they helpfully disentangle from a plastic bag. Upon returning to shore, the child dutifully recycles the pieces of litter encountered on their journey. Guojing thoughtfully smooths the sharpest edges of her skillful, wordless societal critique; the result is an accessible tale, just right for young readers. The messages come through clearly: Throwing one’s trash away can make a difference, one small person can do their part, and the earth is a beautiful thing worth protecting. Luminous, lovely images of the octopus’ underwater world reinforce this message with radiant sweetness.
A hopeful, happy parable of ecological stewardship. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 22, 2026
ISBN: 9781662521508
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026
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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