Clever construction and optimal storytelling make this greenhouse an idyll few will want to leave.
Layered die-cuts and themes of childhood independence mix in this tale of nature caught under glass.
In a city bereft of greenery, Holly goes on daily walks, attempting to find flowers, feathers, and other bits of nature. One day, hidden behind bushes and an old factory, she discovers a greenhouse full of living plants. Holly begins to tend to the greenhouse with the aid of some old books on gardening and is soon joined by a boy named Ash and other children as well. Each helps with the gardening, even in the dead of winter, forming an Eden behind glass. When the kids return home, seeds fall from the crevices of their clothing, blowing into various corners of the city. The final, wordless spread sees Holly and Ash surrounded by a rewilded urban landscape. Though the work is low on tension, Druvert makes the cityscape itself—devoid of trees or plants—the clear problematic force. The lure of this French import lies in Druvert’s ability to effortlessly weave the thick black lines of the laser-cut illustrations into the book’s storyline. Though set in a greenhouse, the work would pair beautifully with Peter Brown’s fellow back-to-nature title The Curious Garden (2009). Holly is light-skinned; her friends vary in skin tone.
Clever construction and optimal storytelling make this greenhouse an idyll few will want to leave. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780500653913
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
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
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