Bears by the score make clean-up no chore, but chaos galore. A grand time for all.
In this U.K. import, spring cleaning evokes laughs instead of groans.
Awakening from their slumber, 20 bright-eyed adult bears and cubs stretch, discard eye masks, brush their teeth, eat breakfast, and prepare to refresh their quarters: a cozy, cluttered suburban cottage. Simmonds counts each bear as everyone pitches in with cheery grins (“1 begins to sweep the floor / 2 decides to lend a paw,” “7 starts to paint the gate. / 8 arrives—DON’T TOUCH! TOO LATE!”). But as every task is tackled, small bears eager to help undo the bigger bears’ work. Luckily, the grown-ups have bear-size patience. A break for “tea and cake” restores cheer, but returning to work heightens the havoc until little Bear 20 decides to grab her hoop and head outside for playtime. Without further ado, “all the bears are in the sun— / lots of bears and lots of fun.” Dancing, singing, and savoring ice pops, they leave behind “one BIG MESS!” Simmonds’ rollicking verses recount the well-meant mischief, and a couple of Britishisms add charm. Brown’s lively line-and-color art brims with personality, differentiating each numbered bear (among them polar bears and pandas); their names are provided at the start. Super-large type supports reading as well as counting. The happy abandon is contagious: Clumsy mistakes are just hilarious here. And for extra fun, spot the spider-spectator on every page!
Bears by the score make clean-up no chore, but chaos galore. A grand time for all. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
ISBN: 9781547618262
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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