A pleasant tale about approaching tasks with a problem-solving mindset.
Davis’ charming picture book aims to teach children how errors can educate them.
Jake the Ape awakens with a positive attitude, ready to start his day, but as he passes a mirror, he notices that his shirt isn’t buttoned correctly. He fixes it, but other things go wrong over the course of the day: He scoops too much jam on a knife, which falls onto the kitchen table; while playing, he throws a ball too hard and then too softly; and he incorrectly adds numbers in front of the class, among other things. But, each time, Jake thinks positively and does something to change the outcome. Later, he tells his parents about his day. His father says: “I’m glad you made mistakes today….Because that’s how we learn!” Young readers will relate to the book’s message, which is straightforward without being preachy; when Jake does homework with his mother, for instance, the narration notes, “It was hard at first, but Jake kept trying and asked questions when he didn’t understand.” Children will understand and appreciate that Jake isn’t perfect, and they may, like him, find that pausing and examining one’s actions is helpful. Webb’s illustrations are winsome, and children will enjoy finding a small snail on every page that features Jake the Ape.
A pleasant tale about approaching tasks with a problem-solving mindset.Pub Date: June 24, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-73630-987-2
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.
After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780063436121
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
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