Halloween has not been as shivery, silly, and satisfying as in this polar romp.
While his friends busy themselves getting the igloo ready for Halloween, Tacky the Penguin is less than helpful.
Lester and Munsinger continue their popular, long-running series with another tale about lovable Tacky. Although the other penguins get a bit exasperated when he samples all of the treats of “yummy gummy Swedish fish, batcicles, and awful waffles,” they do want him to participate in the Halloween festivities. The penguins decide to choose costumes that reflect what scares them the most. Readers will either relate to or giggle at their choices: an insect, the dark, a monster, “a stormy outfit,” and bubbles. But Tacky cannot decide on what to wear, so he goes off to think. In the meantime, a long line of trick-or-treaters arrives at the haunted igloo—everything goes wonderfully until there is a commotion at the door. When three huge ghosts swoop in, the penguins quickly learn they are their feared predators. The two wolves and the bear begin to tear the igloo apart looking for treats. If all the sweets are gone—and they are, thanks to Tacky—they are “gonna catch some pretty penguins / And we’ll grab ’em by the toe / And we’ll plop ’em in our treatsie bags / Hodey ho ho.” Luckily, Tacky has selected a very scary costume in the nick of time—one that ends up frightening the trio of bullies so much they run away.
Halloween has not been as shivery, silly, and satisfying as in this polar romp. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 21, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-544-33994-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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