A winning threefer: an alphabet book, a conflict-resolution story, and a rib-tickler.
After one kid gets a pet rabbit, another youngster feels covetous.
Just when it seemed the world was out of interesting ideas for alphabet books, along comes this corker, which offers a lesson in the ABCs while telling a compelling, immensely funny story. “A is for A rabbit”—in this case, a gray and white bunny that’s for sale at a pet store. “B is for Buy a rabbit” appears above an illustration of a jubilant, pink-skinned child pointing at the rabbit and holding out money. “C is for Cuddle your rabbit”—well, that one’s self-explanatory. The rest of the book is a hoot. “E is for Everyone loves rabbits” introduces a brown-skinned child in a tiger-striped shirt who’s excited about the other kid’s rabbit—a little too excited. Both children play with the animal until the kid in the tiger-striped shirt makes a move for the pet: “M is for My rabbit!” By “P is for Please give me back my rabbit,” there’s a real problem. How to resolve it? As it turns out, “Y is for Your guinea pig.” (The kid in the tiger stripes gets a guinea pig from the pet store.) Working digitally, Gifford sets the children and the rabbit against flat, eye-popping, single-color backdrops. The text is minimal; all three characters’ facial expressions are storytelling tools, with the rabbit’s eyes offering hilarious running commentary.
A winning threefer: an alphabet book, a conflict-resolution story, and a rib-tickler. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
ISBN: 9781761603549
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated.
Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s classic alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets the Halloween treatment.
Chung follows the original formula to the letter. In alphabetical order, each letter climbs to the top of a tree. They are knocked back to the ground in a jumble before climbing up in sequence again. In homage to the spooky holiday theme, they scale a “creaky old tree,” and a ghostly jump scare causes the pileup. The chunky, colorful art is instantly recognizable. The charmingly costumed letters (“H swings a tail. / I wears a patch. J and K don / bows that don’t match”) are set against a dark backdrop, framed by pages with orange or purple borders. The spreads feature spiderwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. The familiar rhyme cadence is marred by the occasional clunky or awkward phrase; in particular, the adapted refrain of “Chicka chicka tricka treat” offers tongue-twisting fun, but it’s repeatedly followed by the disappointing half-rhyme “Everybody sneaka sneak.” Even this odd construction feels shoehorned into place, since “sneaking” makes little sense when every character in the book is climbing together. The final line of the book ends on a more satisfying note, with “Everybody—time to eat!”
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781665954785
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 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.
