Teamwork and being true to oneself are always celebrated, but Andrews, Hamilton, and Davenier combine talents to produce a...
Gerry shines again in the latest entry in the Very Fairy Princess series.
Halloween is near, and the perennial dilemma of what to wear is especially tricky for Gerry. She must find a costume that works with her wings and crown, after all. Even though she has “a THOUSAND ideas… / …nothing seems quite right.” Daddy suggests the obvious, Mommy offers encouragement, while brother Stewart cracks a joke. But “fairy princesses always come through in a pinch,” and Gerry decides to be an angel. Excited to get to school, Gerry meets up with her best friend, Delilah, who has come as a dentist because that is “what she wants to be when she grows up.” All goes well until rambunctious Connor has a ketchup mishap at lunch. Suddenly Delilah’s costume is ruined, and furthermore, the apparent spatter of blood “sends TOTALLY the wrong message about dentists!” Gerry applies fairy magic and comes up with a creative solution just in time for the Halloween parade. She makes a sacrifice for her friend and in turn inspires Delilah to be innovative. It’s hard not to warm to the irrepressible Gerry, even in her seventh picture-book outing.
Teamwork and being true to oneself are always celebrated, but Andrews, Hamilton, and Davenier combine talents to produce a charming tale full of girl power that readers can applaud. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 21, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-316-28304-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
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