A worthwhile story that promotes self-acceptance.
In Meltzer’s illustrated story, a case of sibling rivalry evolves into universal lessons for all children.
Fraternal twins Hunter (a boy) and Harper (a girl) are sent outside by their mother to play together after fighting indoors. In a move typical of young siblings, they band together against their mother: “They decided to build a fort tall enough to keep her out!” While searching for materials to build their fort, Hunter finds “a speckled stone with sparkles that danced in the sunlight.” He uses the stone to count Harper’s freckles, making her mad (“He knew she didn’t like her freckles”). With determination, Harper sets off to find something better than Hunter’s speckled stone. She hopes to discover a stick that can double as a magic wand—one that can take away Hunter’s stone and turn her mother into a frog. Meanwhile, as Hunter lies on his back examining his stone, he drops it on his head. Harper rushes over to check on him, and as she does, he begins counting her freckles again. Harper yells at her brother to stop and wishes that Hunter’s “super-spotty sparkle stone” could erase all her freckles. Surprised, Hunter shares that he actually likes Harper’s freckles and sees beautiful things in her face that are created by her pigmentation. With this new perspective, Harper delightedly realizes her brother is right. Meltzer’s simple story demonstrates how sibling rivalry often occurs out of jealousy. The author conveys a message of positivity, encouraging children to embrace the beauty found in one’s own facial features. Camarra’s mixed-media illustrations feature paper collages layered onto watercolors. While the decision to render Hunter dressed in blue and Harper with pink hair feels stereotypical and a little distracting, the colorful artwork enhances the text nicely, including a bit of whimsy amid the more serious moments.
A worthwhile story that promotes self-acceptance. (Fiction. 4-8 years old)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9798891382718
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Mascot Kids
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© 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.
