A lushly illustrated tale that underscores living fully, appreciating loved ones, and accepting loss.
A young prince’s attempt to defeat Death sparks serious consequences in this picture book.
Hispanic Prince Horatio procures a crystal, enabling him to “peer into” Death’s realm. His fascination with watching Death, a faceless, hooded figure, surges when his mother, Queen Amelia, and sister, Princess Rose Marie, become ill and fall into a deep sleep. When Death threatens to take them, Horatio traps the figure in a sack and ties it to a high tree branch. Death warns that now “no more life shall begin.” Years pass. While nobody dies, people continue aging, including Horatio’s slumbering mother and sister. On his 100th birthday, Horatio expresses regret about his lonely existence. He frees Death and offers his life in exchange for his mother’s and sister’s. Death agrees and shows Horatio an alternate timeline in which his sister lives a wonderful life. Horatio is transported to the day he trapped Death and perishes falling from the tree. Rose Marie is devastated, unaware of Horatio’s sacrifice. Now “one with the wind,” Horatio awaits his loved ones. Poignantly underscoring themes like mortality, remorse, and fate, Oldenburg’s tale about Horatio’s experiences may encourage readers to consider “what truly matters” in their own lives. Fantasy fans will enjoy the adventurous plot and medieval-like settings. Reminiscent of an animated film, Nailon, Ramos, and Thai’s full-color illustrations have a photographic quality, with shadows, shades, and tones. Background locations feature vivid details, including castles, spindly trees, and green hills.
A lushly illustrated tale that underscores living fully, appreciating loved ones, and accepting loss.Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2019
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: March 7, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note.
Little Honey Bunny Funnybunny loves baseball almost as much as she loves her big brother P.J.—though it’s a close-run thing.
Readers familiar with the pranks P.J. plays on his younger sibling in older episodes of the series (most illustrated by Roger Bollen) will be amused—and perhaps a little confused—to see him in the role of perfect big brother after meeting his swaddled little sister for the first time in mama’s lap. But here, along with being a constant companion and “always happy to see her,” he cements his heroic status in her eyes by hitting a home run for his baseball team and then patiently teaching her how to play T-ball. After carefully coaching her and leading her through warm-up exercises, he even sits in the stands, loudly cheering her on as she scores the winning run in her own very first game. “‘You are the best brother a bunny could ever have!’” she burbles. This tale’s a tad blander compared with others centered on P.J. and his sister, but it’s undeniably cheery, with text well structured for burgeoning readers. The all-smiles animal cast in Bowers’ cartoon art features a large and diversely hued family of bunnies sporting immense floppy ears as well as a multispecies crowd of furry onlookers equally varied of color, with one spectator in a wheelchair.
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note. (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217032464
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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