Still, there’s much here for fans to appreciate after the long absence of a favorite author.
Since her debut in 1986 with Old Bear, Hissey has delighted children with her signature colored-pencil drawings that breathe life into stuffed animals.
Her latest character, Ruby, a little mouse in a red, knitted sweater, is racing with her friends Blanket and Blue when three Naughty Cats get in the way and make them tumble. The cats continue to interfere with their play until Blanket, a toy horse, suggests letting them join their games. The illustrations are vibrant and vividly rendered, especially the textiles. The story is sweet and one that small children will be able to relate to, although the rhyming couplets sometimes seem to force the plot: “ ‘Here’s a nice place for a picnic,’ said Blanket. / Ruby mixed up lemonade and they drank it. / But, while they were eating, the Naughty Cats came / And they soon turned the picnic into a game.” Alternate spreads feature text set in a rather scratchy type in wavy lines, offering some cues for reading aloud the sometimes-charmless writing, but the design element is too meager to enhance the story. A more straightforward storytelling style, which this author is known for, would better match the lovely pictures.
Still, there’s much here for fans to appreciate after the long absence of a favorite author. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-909645-96-7
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
An instructive tale about big feelings, lightened up by a furious kid’s theatrics.
An angry child attempts to calm down.
A kid with paper-white skin, clad in a blue dress and striped tights, makes an absurd request: “Can we get a pet penguin, name it Marshmallow, and feed it carrots?” Mom, off-stage, says simply, “Not today,” and the tot transforms into a rather odd creature: a spicy nugget! The nugget is imperfectly ovoid in form, with red rosy cheeks, rage-filled dot-eyes, and a spiraling black-hole mouth. The sight gag works beautifully: When one feels truly angry, all poise disappears, leaving only a flailing ball of rage. Our protagonist hurls a teddy bear, unsuccessfully tries out a list of calming methods, and finally retreats to bed, where “I can feel my breathing; I know that I am safe.” The youngster reverts back to human form, and Mom arrives with kind words: “You are not your big feelings. You are not your angry thoughts.” The takeaway is unmistakable, especially at the story’s conclusion: It’s OK to get mad and important to practice coping strategies. The young narrator expresses emotion with fabulous vigor, though the story’s lilting rhyme scheme occasionally distracts from these outbursts with cuteness. Nonetheless, this increasingly enraged nugget-child is irresistible; anyone who’s grappled with overwhelming emotions will relate—in a word, everyone.
An instructive tale about big feelings, lightened up by a furious kid’s theatrics. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9798217042142
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
SEEN & HEARD
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
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