This book on scent doesn’t make sense.
In a world of stink, smelling good might be a problem.
Panda Cat, a skunk, lives in Smellsville, where the stinkiest of the stinky is celebrated as the best. Every morning he combs rotten eggs through his hair, dabs moldy mayonnaise under his arms, and brushes his teeth with garlic-and-onion toothpaste before a breakfast of toe jam, rotten apples, and spoiled milk. One day at Smellsville Smellementary School, his friends (a dung beetle, a stinkbird, and a binturong) tell him that his idol, Smellbert Einstink, discoverer of the theory of stinkativity, will be the guest judge at the science fair. Panda Cat wants to impress his hero with the stinkiest experiment…but in trial runs something goes horribly wrong, and the resultant bright pink goo smells deliciously sweet. Panda Cat finds he likes it, but the smell sends his friends running; he can’t admit his preference. Hoping the experiment will work at the fair, he tries again only to produce more pink fluff. He loses but learns, in an earnest articulation of the book’s message, that Einstink didn’t intend stink to completely displace sweet scents. This effort thematically revisits Tharp’s earlier It’s Okay To Be a Unicorn! (2020), although the like-what-you-like message is somewhat muddled by the silly, excessive references to stench. Worse, the book misses the opportunity to examine subjectivity, instead reinforcing the notion that there are good smells and bad smells instead of just smells. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 29.7% of actual size.)
This book on scent doesn’t make sense. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-31133-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Imprint
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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