Sweet but ultimately unsatisfying.
A farm boy turned mail carrier delivers the best gift of all.
Pale-skinned young George lives on a farm with his parents, two brothers, and cherry pie–baking Grannie; he loves the barnyard animals and his dog, Angus, many of whom tag along when he goes fishing. But war breaks out, and George must leave his beloved farm to become a soldier. By the time he returns, the farm has been sold, Angus and Grannie have died, and, puzzlingly, not one family member is mentioned again. George takes a job as a mail carrier. The neighborhood dogs adore him, and he becomes a small-town Pied Piper whose antics cheerily entertain the neighborhood children. On his route, he spots morose Theresa Morano, still hoping for her sailor son’s return from the war. George finds a puppy and gives it to Theresa, who finds herself revitalized. Grateful, she gives George a gift of cherry pie—his very favorite. Ritchie’s idyllic portrayals of the countryside and town are only briefly interrupted by one snowy, bloodless war scene. The art is delightful, and George is a cheery protagonist, but the story will leave many kids with questions. Theresa sighs over a “one-eared Tom cat that ran off”; that same feline is inexplicably seen on George’s lap at the end. Youngsters may also wonder why the pie box Theresa gives George has the words “Spare that tree” and a canceled George Washington stamp on it.
Sweet but ultimately unsatisfying. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781772783414
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pajama Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
A light dose of natural history, with occasional “EWWW!” for flavor
Having surveyed worms, spiders, flies, and head lice, Gravel continues her Disgusting Critters series with a quick hop through toad fact and fancy.
The facts are briefly presented in a hand-lettered–style typeface frequently interrupted by visually emphatic interjections (“TOXIN,” “PREY,” “EWWW!”). These are, as usual, paired to simply drawn cartoons with comments and punch lines in dialogue balloons. After casting glances at the common South American ancestor of frogs and toads, and at such exotic species as the Emei mustache toad (“Hey ladies!”), Gravel focuses on the common toad, Bufo bufo. Using feminine pronouns throughout, she describes diet and egg-laying, defense mechanisms, “warts,” development from tadpole to adult, and of course how toads shed and eat their skins. Noting that global warming and habitat destruction have rendered some species endangered or extinct, she closes with a plea and, harking back to those South American origins, an image of an outsized toad, arm in arm with a dark-skinned lad (in a track suit), waving goodbye: “Hasta la vista!”
A light dose of natural history, with occasional “EWWW!” for flavor . (Informational picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-77049-667-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2016
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