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
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
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted...
Reinvention is the name of the game for two blobs of clay.
A blue-eyed gray blob and a brown-eyed brown blob sit side by side, unsure as to what’s going to happen next. The gray anticipates an adventure, while the brown appears apprehensive. A pair of hands descends, and soon, amid a flurry of squishing and prodding and poking and sculpting, a handsome gray wolf and a stately brown owl emerge. The hands disappear, leaving the friends to their own devices. The owl is pleased, but the wolf convinces it that the best is yet to come. An ear pulled here and an extra eye placed there, and before you can shake a carving stick, a spurt of frenetic self-exploration—expressed as a tangled black scribble—reveals a succession of smug hybrid beasts. After all, the opportunity to become a “pig-e-phant” doesn’t come around every day. But the sound of approaching footsteps panics the pair of Picassos. How are they going to “fix [them]selves” on time? Soon a hippopotamus and peacock are staring bug-eyed at a returning pair of astonished hands. The creative naiveté of the “clay mates” is perfectly captured by Petty’s feisty, spot-on dialogue: “This was your idea…and it was a BAD one.” Eldridge’s endearing sculpted images are photographed against the stark white background of an artist’s work table to great effect.
The dynamic interaction between the characters invites readers to take risks, push boundaries, and have a little unscripted fun of their own . (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 20, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-316-30311-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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