Charming family fun.
In this latest collaboration from actor and author Curtis and illustrator Cornell, a child finds ways to pass the time.
“It’s just one more sleep” until “I blow out candles on my birthday cake,” the young narrator informs us. But after that wonderful day, the gap-toothed, curly-haired, brown-skinned child will have to wait an entire year for the next birthday. Luckily, there are many other special days to enjoy and anticipate in the meantime. Lilting, rhyming verse accompanied by sprawling, upbeat illustrations follows the unnamed protagonist and a boisterous, multiracial, interfaith family through a year of holidays and events. The child eagerly takes part in everything from dancing in a dragon mask on Chinese New Year and making red heart valentines to finding Easter eggs, listening to the Passover story, lighting Hanukkah candles, opening Christmas presents, and dressing up for Kwanzaa. Finally, it’s New Year! Basking in Mom’s pride, the child has learned patience—and feels quite pleased with that accomplishment. The refrain “just one more sleep”—a common phrase that helps children understand the concept of today and tomorrow—may be slightly confusing here. The book jumps from holiday to holiday, though there are in fact many sleeps between, for instance, the first day of school and Halloween. But no matter: Young readers will know their own special times and relate to this joyful child and loving family.
Charming family fun. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2024
ISBN: 9780593527047
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2023
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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