by J.R. Krause ; illustrated by J.R. Krause ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 22, 2019
Well-crafted bedtime reading featuring an unusually captivating monster.
A boy and a dragon bond over a shared fear—sort of.
Actually, “Georgie is afraid of the night,” and the dragon that crawls out of his copy of St. George and the Dragon is (with some justice!) “afraid of the knight.” The mutual anxiety is close enough, though, to send both winging out through Georgie’s bedroom window in search of safety. The two come at last to rest on a dark hillside, where the dragon points out stars, shooting stars, and the soothing sounds of crickets to the boy in its lap—and next day, back in the bedroom, Georgie returns the favor, concocting a safe haven for the dragon by creating a new story book with a friendlier knight. Cozy interchanges between the two (“ ‘Will the knight want to fight?’ asks the dragon. ‘Instead of fighting, the knight loves to play catch,’ replies Georgie. ‘What if the knight doesn’t like me?’ asks the dragon. ‘Don’t worry,’ says Georgie. ‘I’ll help you’ ”) give the narrative an intimate tone that Krause reinforces with shadowy pictures, done in thick lines and dark hues, pairing a tiny boy who presents Asian and an improbably huge but vulnerable-looking, even at times tearful, dragon.
Well-crafted bedtime reading featuring an unusually captivating monster. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-525-51424-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
Share your opinion of this book
More by J.R. Krause
BOOK REVIEW
by J.R. Krause & Maria Chua ; illustrated by J.R. Krause ; Maria Chua
BOOK REVIEW
by Maria Chua ; J.R. Krause ; illustrated by J.R. Krause
More About This Book
PROFILES
by Kyla May ; illustrated by Kyla May ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 26, 2019
A strong, accessible diary story for readers seeking an adorable animal tale.
Bub the anxious pug tackles snow days and new neighbors in his second outing.
Bub, acclaimed by some as “the cutest pug on the planet,” at first shares the enthusiasm owner Bella expresses about snow days even though he doesn’t know what they are. Then Duchess the cat (mildly antagonistic, in typical feline fashion) rains on Bub’s parade by pointing out that snow is water—and Bub’s no fan of rain or baths. After a comedic and disastrous first attempt, Bub learns how to properly dress for snow and enjoy it. The outdoor fun’s cut short by mysterious noises coming from the new neighbor, which frighten Bella into thinking there’s a monster. Bub puts on a Sherlock Holmes get-up to investigate but becomes afraid himself of the new neighbor’s large dog. Finally, Bella meets Jack, who’s been working on a tree fort, and his dog, Luna, who is enthusiastically friendly. The story ends on a positive note, as they all happily work together on the fort. The full-color cartoon illustrations, especially of Bub, are adorably expressive and certain to please the age group. The generous font and format—short, diary-entry paragraphs and speech-bubble conversations—create a quick pace. Bub’s stylized emoji bubbles return and are most hilarious when used to express his nervous flatulence. Bella and Jack both present white.
A strong, accessible diary story for readers seeking an adorable animal tale. (Fantasy. 5-7)Pub Date: Dec. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-53006-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Tracey West
BOOK REVIEW
by Tracey West ; illustrated by Kyla May
BOOK REVIEW
by Sonia Sander & Kyla May ; illustrated by Kyla May
by Patty Brozo ; illustrated by Mike Deas ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 12, 2019
Inviting.
A story inspired by a real-life effort to achieve social inclusion.
Rhyming text enriched by energetic, cartoon-style illustrations follows the diverse students in Miss Mellon’s class at recess. Most of the children dive into play with peers, but some feel timid or excluded. Those at play are initially oblivious to the discomfort of the others, but then a child named Jake notices someone using a crutch and hanging back from play. “ ‘It’s my leg,’ said Gabe. ‘I can’t run in a cast, / so I never get picked, not even last.’ ” Affable Jake responds, “Come play with us anyway. There’s time to spare,” causing Gabe to reply, “Wait a minute …I’ll be right there.” This interaction creates a compassionate domino effect of inclusion, with Gabe reaching out to another kid on the sidelines, and so on. When the children (and, oddly, an elephant and dragon) go inside after recess they ask, “how could we say, / without using words, that we all want to play?” Miss Mellon says they need “a seat / to wait for a friend or a buddy to meet.” It’s unfortunate the solution—the eponymous buddy bench—originates with an adult rather than the compassionate children themselves, especially since the author’s note reveals that it was a first grader who proposed the first one in the United States, but the generosity on display is heartening.
Inviting. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-88448-697-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
Share your opinion of this book
More by Patty Brozo
BOOK REVIEW
by Patty Brozo ; illustrated by Ana Ochoa
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.