If foxes have lost some of their fairy-tale enchantment, this book might restore it.
Never trust a picture book.
People who grow up with children’s books may have strange, romanticized ideas about animals: Elephants are as regal as Babar. Caterpillars are cuddly and very hungry. The foxes in this picture book are more beautiful than any real animal. Gray Fox is as dark as a shadow, and her eyes are as wide as moons. Peterson has even improved on the sky. Glowing lights spiral across it, like milk dissolving in a cup of coffee. But readers will be grateful they had a chance to see it. The text is just as poetic: “All the world is still / until // Gray Fox moves again.” The poetry often comes less from the words than from the spaces between them. One sentence is scattered across the spread a word at a time: “The / stars / shine / between / the / leaves.” The text matches the fox’s steps so perfectly that readers may feel as though they’re following her home through the woods. But then, that’s the entirety of the story: Gray Fox goes home to her children and falls asleep. There’s no drama here, but if the story were any less spare, readers might not stop to see the wonders along the way. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
If foxes have lost some of their fairy-tale enchantment, this book might restore it. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-68555-032-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: The Collective Book Studio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Here’s the dirt on this one: Kids will dig it.
Roy the dog seriously digs dirt.
Who can blame him? Sitting, rolling around, and lying in dirt make him happy because dirt is so deliciously…well, dirty, and Roy loves being dirty. Eating, sniffing, watching, and listening to dirt are fantastic. Roy likes burying and unearthing cool, fun stuff in dirt, including some crawly critters and an imaginary friend, likewise named Roy. Surprisingly, there are things Roy doesn’t dig about dirt, though: ants and mud. You see, rain makes mud, or “dirt gravy.” Mud by itself is terrific; unfortunately, mud plus Roy equals very dreaded baths. Roy. Doesn’t. Dig. Baths. What does Roy dig when there’s no dirt around? Rugs, blankets, and newspapers suffice until he enters the jungle that is the backyard. Sadly, encounters with smelly trespassers could occur there, and—yep—baths might ensue! Still, all is well for Roy as he awakens each morning to a day filled with new dirty adventures. This is a rollicking story that will especially resonate with readers who are unapologetically messy. They’ll revel in the delights of wallowing in grunge and may themselves sympathize with a bath-averse protagonist. Shannon’s illustrations are comically energetic, and Roy’s expressions are hilariously wild-eyed, tongue-lolling, and frenzied. Roy’s white coat helps keep the focus on dirty patches.
Here’s the dirt on this one: Kids will dig it. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-25101-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Blue Sky/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Though the story likely won’t linger, this brilliant tapestry of browns may spark discussions about identity and nature.
Brown is everywhere.
Holding a camera and on the lookout for all things brown, a brown-skinned child goes on a hike with their grandparents while their parents prepare for the arrival of a new sibling. As the text points out, brown can be found everywhere in nature, from the ants that carry heavy loads to the “mother bear protecting her young” to “a wrinkled maple leaf.” Attributing strengths such as wisdom and kindness to the color, the child finds their own identity in it and hopes to pass those traits on to their newly born sibling. The story closes with a page from the child’s scrapbook, featuring photos, leaves, and other objects commemorating the day. Though, as this story makes clear, brown is beautiful—a fact underscored by a slew of books celebrating the skin tones of children of color—the rhymes feel cumbersome and sometimes disjointed, and the text may not stay with children. Still, there’s a warmth to the illustrations, which feature luminous shades of brown spilling across the pages, and the message is sound, using the natural world to convey the beauty of brown. The appended scrapbooking activity is a wonderful way to start conversations about the colors of the natural world. In an author’s note, Kelkar, who is Indian America, discusses growing to embrace her brown skin. (The book was reviewed digitally.)
Though the story likely won’t linger, this brilliant tapestry of browns may spark discussions about identity and nature. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-374-38952-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
