Mr. Monkey gives Curious George a run for his money. But at what cost? (Early reader. 4-8)
Mr. Monkey is back, and he’s in it to win it with his latest hobby: gaming.
No matter how hard he tries, Mr. Monkey just can’t beat his video game. Before his third try even has a chance to be the charm, a bird makes off with the controller. Mr. Monkey chases the bird through the city and into the park, begrudgingly taking an outdoor break from screen time. The view, the trees, and the flowers elicit “Ooh!” after “Ooh!” as Mr. Monkey begins to enjoy the respite. But as soon as he spots the bandit bird in the tree, the real-life game is back on. Mr. Monkey “runs…ducks…climbs…swings…jumps [and] falls”—just like in the video game. The moment the controller ends up back in his hands, though, a new obstacle arises. Mr. Monkey loses again. And again. Will he ever catch a break? Mack’s digitally rendered cartoon illustrations outshine those in previous volumes, depicting gorgeously colored nature scenes and a fun, pixelated video-game world. Characters’ speech solely consists of interjections, adding to the slapstick humor. Mack’s mastery of repetition expertly recycles sentences (and a vocabulary of around 70 words), adding new meaning through illustration and context. Unfortunately, the recycled silly-monkey stereotype needs to take a hike of its own.
Mr. Monkey gives Curious George a run for his money. But at what cost? (Early reader. 4-8)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0433-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
A merry choice for Christmastime.
A child and a dog make their way home, thanks to a Christmas sweater.
When Theo’s Yiayia (Greek for Grandmother) gives the youngster’s pug, Ari, a gaudy red sweater bejeweled with jingle bells and other sparkly accoutrements, the pooch “sniff[s] it once and step[s] away.” Theo, however, is delighted with Yiayia’s gift of snowshoes, and the child takes the sweater-clad pup on a hike to Echo Lake. Along the way, and unbeknownst to Theo, Ari’s Christmas sweater gets snagged on a branch and begins to unravel, dropping bells and other decorations into the snow, the red thread extending out behind them. Brett’s signature decorative frames provide visual foreshadowing and emphasis for key points in the narrative as it unspools, with woodland creatures such as curious magpies making appearances. When Theo gets lost, there’s something of a Hansel and Gretel resolution in the works as the child finds the way home to Yiayia not by a trail of stones or breadcrumbs, but by following the red thread and the fallen bells and baubles. Brett’s legions of fans will delight in this new Christmastime story, with plenty to pore over in the detailed, wintry illustrations. Theo and Yiayia are pale-skinned and of Greek heritage; readers with a grounding in Greek mythology will note parallels between Brett’s tale and the legend of Theseus escaping the Minotaur’s labyrinth with the aid of a ball of thread given to him by the princess Ariadne.
A merry choice for Christmastime. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780593533918
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
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Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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