An energetic tale about fluffy friends that prioritizes adventure over nuance.
Verney’s illustrated children’s book features a trio of bunnies trying to save one of their own.
The story opens on Children’s Beach on Nantucket, where a bunny, Briella, reports to her friends Bryson and Bennett that a little boy has captured another bunny. Determined to rescue the hostage, they track down the boy and the bunny at the ice cream store. Bryson notices that it looks “a bit floppy,” not realizing that it is a stuffed animal. Relying on the Bunny Network, which has members “hopping this way and that” across Nantucket, the bunnies follow the boy and his family all over the island. They worry about the bunny’s safety as the boy takes him everywhere from Maria Mitchell Aquarium and Surfside Beach to the Whaling Museum and the Brant Point Lighthouse, but they are unable to rescue him. Finally, as the family photographs boats on Nantucket Harbor, Briella has a chance to talk to the bunny. The “captive” shares his name (Barley) and tells her that he doesn’t need to be rescued because his human friend Sam takes good care of him. Briella counters that Sam is different from Barley, but Barley insists, “Just because he’s different doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.” The bunnies realize Barley doesn’t need saving after all and say goodbye. Verney ably captures the curiosity and determination of his protagonists in this lively, fast-paced children’s story. The narrative balances dialogue and prose descriptions deftly. Bailey’s soft illustration style uses warm tones to evoke the coastal charm of Nantucket (the book also introduces readers to real-life Nantucket destinations). The bunnies’ big eyes, expressive faces, and constantly bounding bodies acutely convey the emotions they experience during their rescue mission. However, the plot leans heavily on repetition; younger children may appreciate the structure, but older readers could lose interest. While the book’s messages about friendship and embracing differences are important, they take a backseat to the bunnies’ chase.
An energetic tale about fluffy friends that prioritizes adventure over nuance.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.
After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780063436121
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
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Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
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