An exuberant tribute to a faithful pet and to the advent of spring.
Child and hound revel in their loving bond and in the natural world.
Home from school, a ruddy-cheeked, tan-skinned youngster with short, curly black hair collects an eagerly waiting black-and-white pooch, and the two set out on a walk through the woods. Both savor intriguing smells, sprouting flora, and hidden fauna—all signs that “spring [is] peeking…here, here, and here.” When they reach the dog’s favorite place, the pond, the young narrator throws rocks and sticks while the pup bounds off joyfully. Suddenly, evening descends, and the protagonist is alone. For two nerve-wracking spreads, the child calls and searches—and then the pet reappears for an elated nose-to-nose reunion. Brief narrative tension is balanced with overall celebratory sentiments as the pooch’s reliable scent memory leads them home. Poetic words and borderless artwork are equally intense. Amid a vibrant and saturated palette of teal, green, and yellow, the child’s scarlet puffer coat glows like a brilliant beacon. Finch’s lyrical text directly addresses the hound (“you spin happy circles and dance your paws”) and especially the pup’s exceptional “back door nose,” “tree nose,” “trail nose,” “snowplow nose,” “submarine nose,” and “dinner bowl nose.” This spot-on verbal recognition of a special canine attribute pairs well with visuals rife with details that signal the shift from winter to spring. A final page of notes provides succinct information on some of the plants and animals shown and a dog’s olfactory prowess.
An exuberant tribute to a faithful pet and to the advent of spring. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781668955208
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tilbury House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
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