Joy glazed with the pain of loss is still joy, as this brilliant book reminds us all.
Drawing inspiration from both an ancestor and the death of her sister, Beaton follows an 18th-century island-dwelling family.
Rebecca, her husband, and their children work hard, depicted in scenes that evoke the cozy feel of Donald Hall and Barbara Cooney’s Ox-Cart Man (1979). One March day, Rebecca’s husband falls through the ice while hunting, leaving her with both a family to raise and a sorrow that lingers. The family grieves, grows, survives, and thrives, until the distant day that Rebecca, surrounded by their love, knows she must leave as well. Beaton, previously inclined toward the silly in her picture books, here writes evocative passages, beautifully encompassing what Rebecca knows and feels. “Death is an empty chair. Unfair. Finding yourself waiting for someone to come through the door who can’t…and the sound of nothing.” In any other creators’ hands, such themes could reflect a primarily adult sensibility. Here, though, the genius of art and text lies in a universality that will speak to readers of all ages. Notably, Beaton demonstrates that happiness and pain can—and do—coexist; love is the “other half” of sorrow. Playing spectacularly with light, Smith’s watercolors complement the prose seamlessly. His sumptuous scenes could stand alone, telling this tale wordlessly, but are far stronger paired with Beaton’s text; her writing is reflective, never sentimental. All characters present as white.
Joy glazed with the pain of loss is still joy, as this brilliant book reminds us all. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2026
ISBN: 9781250349019
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: tomorrow
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.
A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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