Brave—and not so brave—hikers will giggle at this class’s brush with peril.
Signs say a Grizzled Grist hides in the woods. Should Ms. Whisk and her class be afraid?
Optimistically, they forge ahead on the Dismal Hills hiking trail anyway. Ms. Whisk takes notes as her students, except for Liam, boast of great outdoor skills, such as cooking, climbing, and taming wild beasts. Liam’s talent is hiding. The other students scoff, but Liam puts his stealth to good use; as he hides behind rocks, he notices a sign about the Grizzled Grist and observes other clues. But his warnings are ignored as the clueless and frazzled Ms. Whisk races from one wilderness crisis to another. Everyone remains unscathed and unfazed—until they meet a bear. Liam distracts the creature, but soon after, Ms. Whisk and the class come face to face with a toothy, hairy beast. They are doomed to be ingredients in the Grizzled Grist’s Cream of Children Soup unless Liam can save them. Detailed illustrations in soft textures and muted but eye-catching hues set against a white background create plenty of fun opportunities to find Liam and see what only he notices. Using a mix of rhyming couplets (with dialogue from Liam in speech bubbles) and longer stanzas as well as creative line breaks, MacIver creates a bouncy read-aloud that will tickle children and adults alike. Ms. Whisk is light-skinned, Liam is brown-skinned, and the class is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Brave—and not so brave—hikers will giggle at this class’s brush with peril. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-77657-415-5
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
A top-grade creepy/funny addition to the spooky-picture-book canon.
Is a cute kitty built in a castle’s laboratory responsible for the bad things that start happening?
“Here is a tale to chill the blood and thrill the soul—a tale of spooky paws and eerie claws.” The disembodied talking skull who narrates this story is alluding to Frankenkitty, who was engineered out of multiple cats, with visible stitches to show for it. As the house ghouls look on, Frankenkitty’s inventor laments, “I’ve created a monster!” Sure enough, bad things start happening: The mummy begins to unravel. Kitchen mice terrorize the cook. Certainly, Frankenkitty must be to blame. But after the butler, who resembles Frankenstein’s Monster, tosses Frankenkitty outside into the snow, where he looks forlorn and adorable, the skull has second thoughts: “Wait! Did we get it wrong?” It’s up to readers to make the call. Powell-Tuck goes all in with her spoof of old-time horror tropes, although kids needn’t know who Boris Karloff is to be tickled. For the book’s every scare (a severed foot and hand, their bones visible), there’s a wink (in a bit of metafictive fun, the skull urges readers to opt for a story about “unicorns, beasts, or bears”). Grey, a glutton for detail, leans on menacing reds and sickly greens to capture the frights, which include, in a line for the spooky-story ages, “walls as gray as old underpants.” Human characters vary in skin tone.
A top-grade creepy/funny addition to the spooky-picture-book canon. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781664300972
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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