A warm and fuzzy testament to the importance of paws-itive role models.
A cat with three legs fears she won’t be accepted in her new home.
Tribeca’s foster mom says she’s just “purrfect,” but the bright orange-and-black calico kitty feels like “a total CATastrophe.” The neighborhood cats laugh at her missing front leg even though she can still run, pounce, and “chase those pesky birds off the balcony like nobody’s business.” So when her foster mom tells her she’s going to her new home tomorrow, Tribeca bristles with worries. What if her new family wants a “normal” cat? When she imagines being kicked out—literally—into a downpour, bedraggled and dejected, even dog lovers will want to scoop her up for a hug. To Tribeca’s astonishment, not only does her new dad pronounce her “perfect,” she gets a shaggy canine sister, too…who’s missing a back leg. Tribeca, whose experiences being bullied have led her to internalize ableist attitudes, laughs at her new sibling and tells her that having three legs isn't “normal.” But the dog is unfazed; why be “normal,” she asks, “when you can be dog-gone paw-some?” Encouraged, Tribeca adopts a self-accepting “cat-itude.” Appealingly, the resilient Tribeca is more than a furball of anxiety. Her narration, sprinkled with puns and feline quirks, balances self-deprecation with humor, while endearing, animated illustrations convey Tribeca’s feistiness as well as her fear. Tribeca’s foster mom is light-skinned; her new dad is brown-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A warm and fuzzy testament to the importance of paws-itive role models. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9789815009484
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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