This very ducky story gets top billing from us.
Things aren’t always what they’re quacked up to be.
Colin’s “one happy vampire”—he’s moving into a castle that’s “perfect in every way.” Unbeknownst to him, however, it already has a tenant: a greenish-blue duck who accosts him in the tub. Colin unceremoniously deposits the duck in the moat. After all, “a vampire’s castle should be a duck-free zone.” The determined quacker has other ideas and shows up again when Colin’s watching TV, mowing the lawn, and reading on the toilet. Colin chases the wayward creature away and installs heavy padlocks. Guess who returns? Colin’s bewildered: How does the feathered interloper do it? The frustrated Colin suctions up his nemesis with a vacuum cleaner and tosses the bird out. That night, a quacking chorus interrupts Colin’s sleep: Hundreds of ducklings are assembled outside. Following Colin’s birdseed trail to the moat, they all jump in. Colin can finally resume his slumber…or can he? This droll tale, first published in the U.K., is told in a wry, understated voice—two voices, actually, Colin’s and an unseen narrator’s. Kids will likely guess from the outset that the low-key standoff between the bemused, wide-eyed Colin and his web-footed adversary won’t go his way, which only heightens the humor. The thin-lined illustrations, rendered in a soft, limited palette, complement the witty proceedings. Colin has paper-white skin and cuts a nonthreatening figure.
This very ducky story gets top billing from us. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781454712510
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boxer Books
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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