bookshelf

FRIEND OR FOE?

Name: FRIEND OR FOE?
Author: John Sobol
ISBN: 978-1-55498-407-7

by John Sobol ; illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 11, 2016

A quiet, thoughtful narrative for all readers who like to wonder.

bookshelf

A lonely mouse is determined to find out if the neighboring cat might be a new friend.

A little gray mouse lives in a small house, and in the palace next door lives a white cat. Every evening, the two neighbors watch each other—the mouse from his roof, the cat from her high window. When the mouse discovers a hole in the palace wall, he decides to see if the hours spent in mutual contemplation mean that he and the cat are friends. As the mouse makes his way up, he becomes nervous: “What if he was wrong? If he was, the cat would tear him to pieces.” Curiosity outweighs fear, however, and the mouse creeps up to the cat in her window, finally asking, “are you friend or foe?” In response, the cat, startled by the mouse’s sudden appearance, leaps in surprise and tumbles spectacularly out of the window to land safely (as cats do) just outside the mouse’s house—and having unexpectedly switched places, the two neighbors take up their nightly watch again. Tolstikova’s muted palette, neutrals disrupted only by the bright red palace wall, is well-suited to Sobol’s measured prose, which denies readers a satisfying conclusion in favor of allowing them to decide for themselves if cat and mouse are indeed friends.

A quiet, thoughtful narrative for all readers who like to wonder. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-55498-407-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Groundwood

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BORN
by John Sobol ; illustrated by Cindy Derby

bookshelf

IT'S MY BIRD-DAY!

From the Pigeon series

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2026

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.

bookshelf

Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!

Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: March 31, 2026

ISBN: 9781454999621

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Union Square Kids

Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MONSTER AND PUPPET SHOW!
by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci ; illustrated by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PIGEON WON'T COUNT TO 10!
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

- BOOK REVIEW
WILL THE PIGEON GRADUATE?
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

bookshelf

HEDGEHOGS DON'T WEAR UNDERWEAR

by Marissa Valdez ; illustrated by Marissa Valdez ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2025

Sure to have little ones giggling.

bookshelf

Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”

Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.

Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)