A hilarious yet sensitive look at a universal experience.
Being on the go, go, go leads to a big no, no, no for an overenthusiastic amphibian.
The protagonist of Awan’s Geisel Honor–winning Towed by Toad (2024) is back for more adventures. Toad proudly stops to help stranded drivers, towing them back to Pop’s Tire & Car Repair. Heeding the latest call (“Sharp Pat has a flat!”), Toad races to the rescue. Unfortunately, Toad’s high speed results in a crash. Toad is unharmed, and so is Winnie Neigh-Nay, the driver of the other car, but Winnie’s clearly peeved. Poor Toad! Our hero is understandably frustrated, but eventually, Pop reassures Toad that “we can fix it!” Young readers will relate to Toad’s eagerness to help and the emotions that follow as our protagonist fails; Awan emphasizes that everyone makes mistakes, but everything can be made right with a positive attitude. Featuring differently sized fonts and onomatopoeia, his spare, smartly paced rhyming text flows beautifully and is a natural choice for a raucous read-aloud. His trademark expressive digital art complements the writing and makes effective use of page turns, providing opportunities for further exploration with young readers; a series of spreads featuring Toad’s impatience at a stoplight builds epic layers of narrative tension while also offering a lesson on the meanings of the stoplight’s colors.
A hilarious yet sensitive look at a universal experience. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
ISBN: 9781774883501
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
An earnest graduation gift: sweet for lifelong fans, cheerfully encouraging for striving, future graduates.
Success comes at last for the bright-eyed Pigeon.
A clever, tongue-in-cheek ersatz colophon reveals that this graduate has been awarded a “Master of Ornery-thology, Bachelor of Arts of Persuasion with a Minor in Major Freak-outs (summa cum loudly).” Fans will be glad that the Pigeon’s tireless, abundant optimism is finally being ceremoniously recognized. On the cover, the Pigeon wears a mortarboard at a jaunty angle, commenting, “I have the hat!” Of course, dressing the part is essential. But also, “I did the work. I paid attention to the little details. I took some BIG steps.” The Pigeon encountered obstacles (not shown, but many memorable ones will come to mind for the Pigeon's followers). And the Pigeon is plagued by worries familiar to many students who are about to graduate: “WHAT WILL HAPPEN THEN?!? What will I do? Who will I be?” The Pigeon appears in every frame, in close-ups and in poses variously thoughtful, confident, or slightly distressed. Our hero’s simple big eyes and wings are, as ever, remarkably expressive. “Oop!” In one scene, while walking off the dais, diploma in wing, the Pigeon comes to what seems like the edge of a chasm. At last, our hero takes flight with other graduates. Willems' popular characters Gerald and Piggie are there to look on admiringly.
An earnest graduation gift: sweet for lifelong fans, cheerfully encouraging for striving, future graduates. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781454960430
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.
Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!
Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9781454999621
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
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