A cozy tale of friendship and compromise between two very different creatures.
A persnickety, stay-at-home bear is pushed beyond his comfort level by a bold and creative arachnid.
Spider has made a new kite, and he begs his friend Bear to come outside and play. Bear has other plans, namely “a tidy day at the house, followed by a nice cup of tea in his cozy chair.” But the wind snatches the kite away from Spider, so Bear grudgingly agrees to help Spider find it. Everything in the forest that delights Spider is anathema to Bear. He does not like the “filthy ground,” the “itchy plants,” and the “pesky bugs all around” (Spider especially likes them). While Bear grumbles, Spider enjoys all the new sights and sounds of the forest. Eventually both friends are exhausted and deterred by the weather, which has turned nasty. They still haven’t found the kite. Just as they are about to give up, they spy the kite high up in a tree. Finally Bear gets his cup of tea, and the friends compromise by flying two kites comfortably from chairs in the garden. Grant’s soft, muted crayon-and-ink illustrations, full of rounded shapes, complement the warm comforting tone of the story, and the text is clearly laid out and should be easily read by beginning readers as well as grown-ups. Spider is adorable, composed of two ocher globes with stubby, unthreatening legs, wide eyes, and a button hat.
A cozy tale of friendship and compromise between two very different creatures. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 4, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-68119-745-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 11, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
Sure to have little ones giggling.
Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”
Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.
Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250814388
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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