The series continues to entertain with sweet, gentle humor.
Two robot buddies express gratitude for their friendship in three amusing vignettes.
Having established their more-human-than-robot buddy bona fides in Even Robots Aren’t Perfect! (2022), Red Robot and Blue Robot are back for three more short stories, presented in comic book–style panels with speech bubbles. The second volume finds the pair in their cozy home suddenly terrified of an (imaginary) robot-eating monster in “Bump in the Night”; dealing with a misunderstanding with Purple Robot in “Sorting Bolts”; and discussing how lonely they would feel without each other in “The Train Trip.” Through it all, the two robots frequently express admiration for each other and thankfulness for the friendship they share. As in the previous book, Thomas differentiates the two cleverly. Blue Robot is taller, with a block head, while Red Robot looks more like a fire hydrant. The two wobble and whimper, grin, and celebrate with a great range of expressions and emotions over tiny misunderstandings that get blown up with big feelings. The gratitude lessons are never overdone or preachy, with each story playing out like a short comedic playlet with a happy ending rather than an earnest lecture. If there’s something lost from not having one continuous story, it’s made up for by the sheer charm of Red Robot and Blue Robot. There’s lots of pleasure to be had spending time with them. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
The series continues to entertain with sweet, gentle humor. (Picture book. 1-8)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-66591-167-2
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
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