A sweet celebration of intergenerational slowpokery
An unnamed little girl likes to go on long walks across the countryside with her grandmother…but Grandma, who walks with a cane, is a slowpoke.
As they set out, they hear bird song; it turns out to be cardinals, and the duo whistles back to the birds. Then Grandma stops to point out ants carrying large seeds. They spend a long time watching rabbits in the grass. When they walk on, they see brown squirrels in a tree, which makes the girl think it would be fun to live there. They see bathing ducks. They count baby geese. And they watch muskrats swim in the river until the fireflies come. When they return after dark, the girl says, “We saw so-o-o-o-o much!...It was fun being slowpokes together.” Halfmann’s nature walk from a child’s perspective is spot-on, neatly capturing the grandparent-grandchild dynamic. The accompanying animal facts at the close, several about each of the animals encountered, will interest young naturalists. Coxon’s full-bleed illustrations are more successful with the animals than the people, who look stiff and posed; the realistic animals and habitats are meticulously detailed, and the interiors of the country house are cozy. The child wears glasses; she and her family are all white.
A sweet celebration of intergenerational slowpokery . (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Feb. 15, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-59572-710-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Star Bright
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
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
This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom.
Holy bedtime, Batman!
In a sleepy-looking neighborhood under a dusky cerulean sky, a young, brown-haired, white boy goes through the motions of getting ready for bed: he brushes his teeth, takes a bath, picks up his toys, and feeds his fish. In a parallel visual narrative, beckoned by the cat's-eye–yellow bat-signal, Batman keeps Gotham safe for another night by catching crooks, locking them away, and avenging those who have been wronged. Though the two characters are quite different, through a carefully flexible narrative, Dahl and Beavers weave a convincing tale of just how similar they might be. “It’s time to take care of business” describes the child’s trip to the potty and Batman’s dive down a manhole equally well, for instance. Beavers' art is visually striking and vibrantly hued, perfect for keeping young eyes glued to each page. Dahl's economical text is cadenced with a gentle lilt, just right for a bedtime read-aloud. Young fans of the caped crusader will delight in spying their favorite characters. In the already-overstuffed bedtime-book market, this is certainly a niche read, but it hits its mark well, delivering fun without darkness. A “bedtime checklist” at the end aptly includes “story time.”
This should send Dark Knight fans flying to the Batcave—or the bedroom. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62370-732-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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