This sequel will be embraced by youngsters who struggle with their speech and need some hints on how to handle the capybaras...
Wodney Wat, the lovable rodent who cannot pronounce the r sound, receives a remarkable robot as a birthday present (Hooway for Wodney Wat, 1999).
This pile of metal can do something that Rodney cannot: It can parrot his speech, correcting the pronunciation. Rodney is having great fun with his new metal companion when the enormous bully, Camilla Capybara, returns. Camilla explodes into the room, terrifying everyone, including the teacher. When the robot malfunctions, developing a RRRRR roar, Camilla’s weaknesses are exposed, allowing Wodney, assisted by his sidekick, to send her rolling out the door. Munsinger’s over-the-top illustrations are the star here. A deft use of humorous expressions on every rodent face will allow young readers to ally with beloved Wodney as he negotiates the challenges of school: ordering wibs and wice (ribs and rice), exercising on the wings (rings) at PE and adding 2+1. With his wobot, it’s a snap! Poured into her pink dress, Camilla bursts onto each spread, the pages barely able to contain her. When she is scared, her size is reduced, a fine visual clue to her diminishing power.
This sequel will be embraced by youngsters who struggle with their speech and need some hints on how to handle the capybaras in their lives. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-36756-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 23, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
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A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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