I scream. You scream. We all scream for vanishing ice cream.
A sweet-eyed squirrel with magic aspirations is determined to prove their prowess…with a little help from a friend.
Squirrel introduces themself at the start as an expert in making snacks disappear by eating or hiding them. What Squirrel really wants to do, though, is use magic to make the food vanish entirely. When a stray ice cream cone is discovered, Squirrel seeks out the help of friend Bear. But what’s this? After being left out in the sun, the ice cream is gone! Drunk with power, Squirrel locates an empty ice cream truck and holds a magic show for a plethora of woodland creatures. Afterward, sugary goodness for all! “It turns out that we were all good at magic,” says Squirrel as ice cream of every kind disappears down bestiary gullets. Squirrel’s inability to tell when something has vanished due to magic rather than because it has melted or been eaten by Bear (or, in one funny scene, because it has wound up stuck to Bear's backside) soon wears thin, but there is real enchantment in the book’s illustrations. Small details fill the pages, yielding new things to see with every read and reread. Sugar cones make excellent hats, with readers treated to an adorable array of them. Glowing colors complement wonderful facial expressions. This tale merrily accompanies Sarcone-Roach’s other bear-related tales, The Bear Ate Your Sandwich (2018) and There Are No Bears in This Bakery (2019). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
I scream. You scream. We all scream for vanishing ice cream. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 20, 2023
ISBN: 9780593309858
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sure to have little ones giggling.
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)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250814388
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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