Schulman gives the traditional count-down book a Halloween twist in this adaptation of the classic rhyme involving monkeys bouncing on a bed. When ten children embark upon an evening of candy-collecting, they meet up with a motley crew of Halloween creatures. From a harmless toad to a monster on the prowl for candy, the trick-or-treaters’ numbers lessen by one with each eerie encounter. Schulman’s verses successfully match the bouncy rhythm of the traditional rhyme while incorporating more whimsical aspects of Halloween into the descriptions of the children’s activities. Davick’s brightly hued illustrations go a long way to distill any frightening overtones in the tale. Each creature encountered is carefully depicted as harmless; the bat bears a smiling visage, the “mummy” is obviously a fellow trick-or-treater with purple polka-dotted underwear poking out of its wrappings, etc. Vibrant depictions of clever costumes will set readers to dreaming of their own Halloween escapades and the last page recaps with a Halloween candy graph representing the numerals ten through zero. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2005
ISBN: 0-375-83225-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2005
A group of farm animals is drawn together by an unusually bright star shining over a stable in their neighborhood in this sentimental Nativity story. The narrative focuses on a gray kitten who is tenderly cared for by his mother in their home in a barn. They follow the other animals to the stable under the star, and as a group they enter and stand before the straw-filled manger in the final spread. The kitten describes his great happiness at this special baby, but unfortunately the baby is not shown in the illustration, which may leave readers confused and dissatisfied. Though Mendez’s large-format illustrations are appealing and the simple story is accessible to preschoolers, the ending demonstrates a lack of knowledge of the needs of this age group, who need to see to believe. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-545-10486-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2009
Formulaic fare that will nevertheless charm devoted followers.
A few familiar friends explore gratitude.
Daywalt’s crayons have observed many holidays, from Christmas to Earth Day. On Thanksgiving, these anthropomorphic school supplies wax (pun intended) poetic about their favorite things to draw. “Blue is thankful for blueberries.” (The accompanying illustration depicts the stubby crayon leaping into a pile of the fruit.) Black, on a page topped by dark scribbles, “is thankful for night skies.” In an aside, Black adds, “Big, beautiful night skies I get to color in all by myself!” (Blue is perfectly fine with this.) Pink pipes up with “Three glorious words. Amazon. River. Dolphins”—which may spur readers to research these creatures. The tale turns a bit meta, too. Teal is thankful for family—both Blue and Green. Red, surrounded by hearts, is thankful for Neon Green Highlighter, who was accidentally dropped into the crayon box—a “dreamboat” for sure. Recognizable jokes from previous works make appearances; these callbacks will delight staunch fans, though others will find them tiring. Standard cheer and platitudes abound; the crayons are ultimately most grateful for each other.
Formulaic fare that will nevertheless charm devoted followers. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9780593690574
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
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