This one-trick wonder isn’t the greatest, but it will amuse for a while.
Misunderstanding the acronym G.O.A.T., Goat declares that he’s “just the best.”
Preening Goat tells Duck that G.O.A.T. means “Greatest of All Time.” “I thought it stood for Gobbles Oats And Tires,” responds Duck. So they’re off, matching initials with improbable strings of descriptors, such as “Deadliest Underwater Crumb King.” Goat and Duck are joined by Cow (“Coolest Overalls Wearer”) and Donkey (“Devourer Of Nice Kind Easter Yams”), who was under the impression that Goat’s name stood for “Grunts Often At Termites.” Those insects are dubbed “Terrible Eaters Really Must Investigate The Exploding Sausages.” Next up: Dog, aka the “Duke Of Growling.” Duck wants to be a G.O.A.T., too—after all, Duck’s a “Good Or Awesome Tap dancer.” Cow claims to be a “Gorgeous Octopus Arm Twister,” and Donkey “Gallops On Any Table.” Even the termites are “Grand Orchestral Amazing Talent.” Everyone is pleased by their labels, and they trumpet, “LET’S ALL BE GOATS!” Outside of Lake Woebegone, though, if everyone is The Best, then no one is. The popeyed cartoon characters cavort in bright colors against varied flat single-color backgrounds; the lettering is a mix of all caps for the acronyms and upper/lowercase for dialogue. The book doesn’t have much of a storyline, just characters spouting off some weak wordplay, though the artwork may hold children’s attention.
This one-trick wonder isn’t the greatest, but it will amuse for a while. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
ISBN: 9781546127260
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Echoes of Runaway Bunny color this exchange between a bath-averse piglet and his patient mother. Using a strategy that would probably be a nonstarter in real life, the mother deflects her stubborn offspring’s string of bath-free occupational conceits with appeals to reason: “Pirates NEVER EVER take baths!” “Pirates don’t get seasick either. But you do.” “Yeesh. I’m an astronaut, okay?” “Well, it is hard to bathe in zero gravity. It’s hard to poop and pee in zero gravity too!” And so on, until Mom’s enticing promise of treasure in the deep sea persuades her little Treasure Hunter to take a dive. Chunky figures surrounded by lots of bright white space in Segal’s minimally detailed watercolors keep the visuals as simple as the plotline. The language isn’t quite as basic, though, and as it rendered entirely in dialogue—Mother Pig’s lines are italicized—adult readers will have to work hard at their vocal characterizations for it to make any sense. Moreover, younger audiences (any audiences, come to that) may wonder what the piggy’s watery closing “EUREKA!!!” is all about too. Not particularly persuasive, but this might coax a few young porkers to get their trotters into the tub. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25425-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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