Bibliotherapy in action; sure to delight—and soothe—little introverts.
A talking book reluctantly confides in readers.
Peering from behind the small triangle of a turned-down page corner, the book acknowledges our legitimate interest but confesses that being “around someone I don’t know” elicits strong emotions. Our protagonist becomes “embarrassed,” “nervous,” even “dizzy.” The book recognizes a deep conflict between its raison d’être (being read) and its fear of judgment. Will we laugh at the book? What if we find it boring? “I’m getting really uncomfortable with you staring at me,” the book complains. Deflecting, the protagonist suggests we turn to other, bolder, titles. Nope? Suddenly our protagonist has an idea, if it can only get the thought out. Here it is: switching focus to readers with a series of confidence-building questions. What’s your favorite color? Your age (“No way! That’s how old I am!”)? And…are you sometimes shy? Try this tactic next time you’re “around people and feeling shy,” the book urges, and maybe you, too, will emerge “HAPPY!” Pearlstein has created an entirely relatable, unthreatening protagonist who will speak to young wallflowers. Both the personified book—just a square with big eyes and expressive eyebrows—and its speech balloons are a sunny yellow. The few humans, thinly sketched lines set against a colored ground, vary in skin tone and include wheelchair users and hijab wearers.
Bibliotherapy in action; sure to delight—and soothe—little introverts. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781636551883
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Red Comet Press
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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