Nice words, indeed.
A Swiss import with a Christmastime message for the whole world.
A church with a bell tower stands in a cozy town square, and in that tower are four bells that “were very, very old. Except for the smallest one, which was new.” The old bells ring out their songs, but as anticipated by the title, the little bell won’t ring. A dove named Felidia wants to encourage the bell to ring, and a wise old crow tells her that “nice words always help.” But which nice words will move the little bell to ring? Felidia and other birds chirp, “Morning sun” and “Cake crumbs!” and even try “Christmas pudding, fairy tale, chocolate, snowflake,” but none of these nice words provoke chiming. Birds fly around the world learning to say “Merry Christmas” in different European languages, but this doesn’t work; nor do the names of various cheeses listed by a group of mice, nor the words “I love you,” learned from a young couple who appear White (as do all other depicted people). On Christmas Eve, stillness descends, and text describes “a tiny light…crossing the sky.” Unfortunately, the art doesn’t clearly show this “light from Bethlehem [that] goes all around the world with a message of peace.” (Also unfortunate is the low-contrast placement of black text on evening-blue sky.) Nevertheless, this message of peace finally inspires the bell to ring, delivering a satisfying conclusion to the tale.
Nice words, indeed. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4386-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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