Though the rhyming text is sometimes a bit singsong, Henri is an earnest fellow and Santa a kind mentor offering advice that...
An artistic French mouse struggles with his painting style until he receives some helpful advice from Santa on Christmas Eve.
Henri the mouse lives in a cozy house in the French countryside, wearing a black beret and an artist’s smock as he works in his studio. He is trying to create a special painting as a Christmas gift for a friend, but multiple paintings are started and rejected as not good enough before Henri has a surprise meeting with a traditionally dressed, white Santa who has stopped in to deliver gifts. Santa’s advice inspires Henri to “paint from my heart,” and the mouse successfully completes a portrait of his best friend, a white cat. The text uses the opening words and the meter of “The Night Before Christmas,” with a few hints at the original poem such as Santa’s wink and nod before departure. Terms for artistic techniques are woven into the story along with several French words and phrases; these are defined in appended glossaries along with an author’s note describing the miniature reproductions of famous paintings on Henri’s walls. Serviceable watercolor illustrations in jewel tones use a double-page-spread format with each border showing a different type of paint, ink, or illustration technique.
Though the rhyming text is sometimes a bit singsong, Henri is an earnest fellow and Santa a kind mentor offering advice that emphasizes the spirit of giving. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4556-2205-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pelican
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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