Delightful barnyard humor sends the important messages of embracing individual strengths and the power of friendship.
The farmer’s offhand comment creates a crisis for Donkey and the barnyard cats.
Despite his name, Donkey knows he is a cat. After all, Farmer always says, “Goodnight, kitty cats!” before leaving the barn for the night. Donkey licks, pounces, and perches like a cat, but sometimes he feels out of place. When Donkey climbs onto Farmer’s lap one day, she exclaims that he is acting just like a cat. “What if I’m NOT a cat?” Donkey asks the barn’s cats. The logical cats suggest he is a dog, cow, horse, or “a spiffy, strong cat” capable of protecting them. Knowing he doesn’t belong with the cats, Donkey sadly leaves the warm barn for the cold, rainy pasture. Later, he hears “scaredy-cat whimpers.” Racing to defend a kitten from a fox, Donkey instinctively turns and bucks his back legs high into the air. The fox flees. When Donkey and the kitten return to the barn to a “mewed chorus of cheers,” Donkey embraces his true self and reveals his new identity—Don-kitty! Detailed cartoon illustrations vary from scenes spanning double-page spreads to vignettes that result in fast action. Speech-bubble commentary and feline facial expressions help develop the cats’ personalities and make for a warm and funny read. Farmer is light-skinned with blond hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Delightful barnyard humor sends the important messages of embracing individual strengths and the power of friendship. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 6, 2023
ISBN: 9781525305535
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
Nighttime comes alive here.
The protagonist of Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden(2024) once more teaches the townspeople a lesson in stepping out of their comfort zones.
The residents of Garden Glen fear the dark and keep their homes illuminated all night. All but Millie Fleur La Fae. She adores darkness and, since moving here, has missed the nocturnal creatures that avoid the lit-up town. “The Dark isn’t scary,” Millie Fleur assures the townspeople. “You just need to get to know her.” Together, Millie Fleur and the Dark, a hulking being with glowing eyes standing by the forest’s edge, lead the night creatures to her moon garden, where plants burst with delicious aromas that waft through town. Bearing lanterns, the enchanted young neighbors follow their noses to the garden, where Millie Fleur advises them to extinguish their lights. Plants with quirky names like Forty-winks Fern and Snoozing Sugarplum safely light their path. Initially timid, the kids soon discover that the Dark offers new and rewarding experiences. Thereafter, Garden Glen’s lights dim, moon gardens flourish, night creatures settle in, and the town embraces darkness. This warm and pleasant bedtime tale will reassure kids frightened of the dark. Mandin makes a strong case that nighttime should be savored; her work will spark a sense of wonder about natural phenomena not evident during the day. The digital illustrations—set, unsurprisingly, against mostly blue backgrounds—are lovely, infused with a sweetly gothic sensibility. Millie and her mom are pale-skinned; the neighbors are racially diverse.
Nighttime comes alive here. (author’s note about real-life night creatures) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781339023373
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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