A fun reminder to be open to friendship.
A girl throws a tea party and ends up with more guests than she expected.
New in town, Agnes sets out to make friends by inviting some girls from her class to a tea party. She stipulates on the invitation that everyone should bring a “plus one.” After Agnes accidentally drops one of the invitations on the ground at school, a kid named Dave picks it up. When no one except Dave shows up to her house, Agnes turns him away with the excuse that he didn’t bring a plus one; in reality, she doesn’t want “this strange kid” at her party. Undeterred, Dave gets creative and cheerfully knocks on the door multiple times with a lineup of different “plus ones,” including a goose, a snake, and even his own mother. Each time, Agnes rejects Dave and his guests for different reasons, but eventually she realizes that she’s alone at her own party. Agnes observes Dave having fun with his “unusual group of friends” outside and asks to join them. But then, Agnes’ guests show up. Will she ditch Dave? No! Agnes invites the entire group (including the goose) inside for tea. Hare’s vibrant illustrations complement this sweet and silly story that makes clear that sometimes we can find friends in unexpected places. His wide-eyed, expressive, cartoonish characters effectively convey a range of emotions—from frustration to excitement—with humor. Agnes is tan-skinned, Dave is light-skinned, and the (human) party guests are racially diverse.
A fun reminder to be open to friendship. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2024
ISBN: 9780823450435
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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
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