bookshelf

ACROSS THE BIG BLUE SEA

Name: ACROSS THE BIG BLUE SEA
Author: Jakki Wood
ISBN: 0-7922-7308-7

AN OCEAN WILDLIFE BOOK

by Jakki Wood & illustrated by Jakki Wood ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1998

bookshelf

First published in Britain as The Deep Blue Sea, this is an extraordinary ocean wildlife book for beginners, in which the addition of a tiny boat’smaller than the eye of a blue whale or the bottlenose of a dolphin—creates anticipation by forecasting the journey. Wood (Animal Hullabaloo, 1995, etc.) charts the travels of a small toy boat as it bobbles in the surf off a California beach on its way to Australia, the Indian Ocean, the south of Africa, through the Sargasso Sea, and across the Atlantic, ending in a not-quite-around-the-world 25,000-mile journey to the southwest shores of Great Britain. Wind and ocean currents send the boat past manta rays and giant clams, flying fish and loggerhead turtles. Just above the line of water, single sentences of text suggest the barest outline of the boat’s sojourn. The real story lies under the water where simple line drawings set against inky seas depict brown pelicans diving and puffer fish staring, gulper eels slithering and anglers waiting to lure prey. Each undersea creature is clearly labeled, matching pictures with names for easy identification. As curious as the macaroni penguins investigating the boat from an ice floe off the southern tip of Africa, children will learn a smattering of geography as they trace the boat’s travels along a route marked with arrows in a final world map. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 1998

ISBN: 0-7922-7308-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: National Geographic

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1998

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
A HOLE IN THE ROAD
by Jakki Wood & illustrated by Jakki Wood

- BOOK REVIEW
NEVER SAY BOO TO A GOOSE!
by Jakki Wood & illustrated by Clare Beaton

- BOOK REVIEW
ANIMAL HULLABALOO
by Jakki Wood & illustrated by Jakki Wood

bookshelf

IT'S MY BIRD-DAY!

From the Pigeon series

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2026

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.

bookshelf

Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!

Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 31, 2026

ISBN: 9781454999621

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Union Square Kids

Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MONSTER AND PUPPET SHOW!
by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci ; illustrated by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PIGEON WON'T COUNT TO 10!
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

- BOOK REVIEW
WILL THE PIGEON GRADUATE?
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

bookshelf

HEDGEHOGS DON'T WEAR UNDERWEAR

by Marissa Valdez ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2025

Sure to have little ones giggling.

bookshelf

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)