A clever and delightful snack-time story.
A popcorn kernel doesn’t pop but learns to have fun anyway in Kilpatrick’s picture book.
The Kernels are excited for Pop Day, when they leave their jars and head to the “MicroWave” to become popcorn. Otto can’t wait to do “the fun things he’d been dreaming about,” such as swim in butter and mingle with the Nuts. But although the other Kernels become white puffs, as planned, Otto remains unpopped. He tries to become a popped Kernel via various methods, but nothing works, and he returns to his jar. One day, Otto discovers a bowl of happy half-popped and unpopped Kernels. They invite Otto to join them, saying, “You can have fun whether you pop or not!” Otto enjoys spinning in butter, sliding down a wedge of cheese, and soaking in chocolate. The next Pop Day, Otto holds a sign that says, “HAPPY POP (OR NOT) DAY!!!” Otto’s adventure is a quirky and endearing one. Kilpatrick effectively teaches readers that, like the protagonist, they can excel even in circumstances that may not be exactly what they pictured. Blanco’s charming, full-color illustrations depict Otto and other expressive Kernels in a cheerful kitchen setting. Also included is a creative, detailed illustration of a “map” to MicroWave City, including locales such as Pistachio Way and Juice Box Café.
A clever and delightful snack-time story.Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-93-844722-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Genius Cat Books
Review Posted Online: July 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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