Certain to inspire conversations about emotions, friendship, and bravery.
Best friends can come in unusual shapes and sizes.
Poppy, a girl with pale skin and black pigtails, loves her panda umbrella. Umbrella accompanies Poppy on her daily adventures, no matter the weather…almost. One blustery day, Poppy loses her grip on the handle, and off Umbrella goes, up into the sky. Distraught, Poppy feels the cold wind on her face; worse than that, Umbrella’s absence leaves her feeling empty. The two of them have been together throughout Poppy’s life, poignant moments depicted in vignettes. Determined to find her friend, Poppy braves gusty winds and pelting rain, but she doesn’t see Umbrella anywhere. Sharp-eyed readers will find Umbrella hanging from a tree branch on one spread and blowing in the breeze on another. Poppy lies down in the rain-grown, bright red flower beds and ponders life without her best friend, wondering how her pal is doing, all alone. Soon a rainbow appears, and with it, a happy reunion for the two. Going forward, Poppy keeps a tight hold on Umbrella no matter what. Lee weaves themes of social-emotional growth and courage into this authentic portrayal of a child’s dark moment. Heartfelt prose goes hand in hand with vivid illustrations of Poppy’s odyssey. Full-page spreads evolve from steely grays to vibrant greens, and shifts in perspective, from up in the sky to deep underwater, enhance the sensory experience.
Certain to inspire conversations about emotions, friendship, and bravery. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
ISBN: 9780063356467
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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