A well-illustrated educational children’s story with a good message about courage, kindness, and standing up for others.
In this third installment of Ussi’s illustrated children’s book series, an adventurous feline strays far from her home, discovering friendship and bravery in unexpected places.
A drowsy nap in a tree delivers a cat named Casper straight into the world of giraffes, where she meets Jerry, a sweet but nervous fellow with wobbly knees and a very long neck: “The giraffe was so tall. As tall as the tree, and it was a very, very tall tree.” Together, they stumble into the herd’s biggest event: the arrival of a newborn giraffe. Casper’s journey blends slapstick fun with heart, showing the cat sliding down Jerry’s neck, outsmarting bossy oxpeckers, and navigating a land of towering giants. However, when her new pal falters, the pint-size feline must rise to the challenge of proving that even the smallest creatures can make a big difference. Ussi skillfully blends humor and adventure while effortlessly weaving wildlife facts into the narrative. The accessible writing style effectively reflects the author’s passion for storytelling and the natural world, making it clear that her goal is to inspire readers while entertaining them. Over the course of this brief tale, the friendship between Casper and Jerry feels natural and endearing, providing youngsters with an emotional anchor amid the light action. At its heart, the tale conveys the gentle but powerful idea that friendships can form despite differences, even in the most unlikely circumstances. Bose’s full-color cartoon illustrations, rendered in warm tones with a brushy, painterly quality, capture the story’s playful spirit while showing gentle care for its characters. With brisk pacing that avoids heavy-handed exposition, the book will invite rereads, offering a brief, engaging lesson suitable for every young reader.
A well-illustrated educational children’s story with a good message about courage, kindness, and standing up for others.Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781923356115
Page Count: 66
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Sept. 4, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child...
Imani endures the insults heaped upon her by the other village children, but she never gives up her dreams.
The Masai girl is tiny compared to the other children, but she is full of imagination and perseverance. Luckily, she has a mother who believes in her and tells her stories that will fuel that imagination. Mama tells her about the moon goddess, Olapa, who wins over the sun god. She tells Imani about Anansi, the trickster spider who vanquishes a larger snake. (Troublingly, the fact that Anansi is a West African figure, not of the Masai, goes unaddressed in both text and author’s note.) Inspired, the tiny girl tries to find new ways to achieve her dream: to touch the moon. One day, after crashing to the ground yet again when her leafy wings fail, she is ready to forget her hopes. That night, she witnesses the adumu, the special warriors’ jumping dance. Imani wakes the next morning, determined to jump to the moon. After jumping all day, she reaches the moon, meets Olapa and receives a special present from the goddess, a small moon rock. Now she becomes the storyteller when she relates her adventure to Mama. The watercolor-and-graphite illustrations have been enhanced digitally, and the night scenes of storytelling and fantasy with their glowing stars and moons have a more powerful impact than the daytime scenes, with their blander colors.
While the blend of folklore, fantasy and realism is certainly far-fetched, Imani, with her winning personality, is a child to be admired. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-934133-57-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mackinac Island Press
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
