DOES FRANKENSTEIN GET HUNGRY?

Name: DOES FRANKENSTEIN GET HUNGRY?
Author: John Solimine
ISBN: 978-0-399-54641-9

by John Solimine ; illustrated by John Solimine ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 14, 2018

Imagination is a powerful tool; perhaps this will show readers how to harness its powers to tame their fears instead of...

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Instead of worrying about the many monsters and ghouls that are typical Halloween haunts, a young girl, who narrates in the first person as she lies in bed, uses her imagination to put her fears to rest.

After an opening verse and an image of the girl with her blankets pulled up to her chin, Solimine’s first spread-spanning illustration shows the girl in bed in her room, the blue monochrome illustration showing all sorts of spooky things. But this little girl isn’t one to panic. Instead, she lets her curiosity take charge, the illustrations depicting each silly scenario: “Are MUMMIES fond of long bike rides / just like normal folks? / Or do their crusty bandages / get tangled in the spokes?” Do ghosts teach their pets to play dead? Does Dracula floss? Does the Boogeyman wipe his boogers on his sleeve? The final spread returns readers to the bedroom, only now the spooky things are gone, replaced by the objects that inspired them: the tentacle beneath the bed? Only a scarf. “All these questions make the ghoulish appear foolish / and the ghostly mostly meek. / Being scared is so silly now that / monsters seem so weak!” Though the text’s scansion is sometimes off, Solimine’s pencil, pen, and Photoshop illustrations are sure to tickle readers’ funny bones (and disgust them as well). The palette is heavy on orange, green, and purple; the girl has brown skin and brown braids.

Imagination is a powerful tool; perhaps this will show readers how to harness its powers to tame their fears instead of feeding them. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-399-54641-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
DRAGON BRUSH
by Andy Hullinger John Solimine illustrated by John Solimine developed by Small Planet Digital

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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

by Gregory R. Lange ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2019

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

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All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

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PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

by James Dean ; illustrated by James Dean ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2018

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among

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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)