A wordy narrative on a delightful topic that’s paired with engaging, colorful illustrations.
In Belanger-Richmond’s illustrated children’s book, a young girl in Maine sees animal visitors outside her window and decides to find out as much as she can about them.
One sunny morning, elementary-school-age Clara looks out her window to witness three foxes at the edge of the woods that border her backyard—a mother fox and her two cubs. She races downstairs to tell her mom, who’s in the middle of making pancakes, but expresses excitement about her daughter’s discovery. Once Clara’s dad comes home, the three family members set off outside to find their new wild guests. Dad gives Clara a pair of binoculars, and over time, Clara enjoys watching the fox family in their natural habitat where they sleep, hunt, and play. She also learns how to observe the natural world while staying out of danger. These encounters inspire her to learn more about wildlife, and she soon gathers observational tools, including a notepad and an animal-print guide, which she keeps in her backpack with her binoculars. Later, Mom gives Clara her own nature journal for writing down what she sees in nature, and her grandmother brings her to the library so she can learn all about foxes. Throughout, the repeated phrase “What do I see?” encourages young readers to study the images and make their own observations. Mathew’s vibrant and painterly illustrations are the book’s highlight. The earlier sections of Belanger-Richmond’s text employ delightful, simple repetition. However, it relies on this device less as the story goes on, and it becomes somewhat less engaging as a result. Still, the book does valuably encourage children to engage with the outdoors in a meaningful way that’s safe for both humans and animals.
A wordy narrative on a delightful topic that’s paired with engaging, colorful illustrations.Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2024
ISBN: 9798891381094
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Mascot Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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