Invites universal participatory tickling—it’s hard to resist joining in.
A mouse wants to join the Tickle Squad but first must prove that its skills are up to snuff.
As two lab-coated rodents carefully look on (this is serious, scientific observation, after all), one tiny mouse tickles all kinds of creatures hoping to trigger a guffaw. Tickling a giraffe is easy; just run up and down those long legs. Tickling a bear requires a bit more caution, but it’s fun when they start to wriggle and giggle. Tickling an octopus, however, can be quite tricky, as the tickler-in-training wonders: “An octopus loves to be tickled for sure, / but which was the arm that I tickled before?” Written in jumpy verse with rhymes that sometimes carry over into the speech-bubble comments of the scientists, the rhythm itself is ticklish and fun. Comically large, round ears make the tiny mice easy to spot, and various bodily functions triggered by the tickling are sure to elicit giggles. Alas, some of the animals’ laughing expressions can be difficult to interpret: scrunched eyes and wide mouths with sharp teeth don’t always look very jolly.
Invites universal participatory tickling—it’s hard to resist joining in. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5124-8126-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Andersen Press USA
Review Posted Online: June 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2017
For patient listeners, a fun visit to a mixed-up barnyard.
When a fierce wind descends on the barnyard, the animals hear some odd noises…and they’re coming from their own mouths.
The sudden wind unsettles all the animals on the farm just when they should be getting ready for sleep. Instead, they anxiously “cheep” and “cluck” and “oink” and “quack” and “moooo.” They shift nervously, pull together, and make all sorts of noises. All except Turtle, who tucks into his shell under an old log and sleeps. In the morning, though, the animals get a surprise. Pig says, “Cluck”; the Little Chicks say, “Neigh”; Horse crows, “Cock-a-doodle-doo.” How will they get their proper sounds back? Turtle has an idea, and he enjoys the process so much that he decides to open his mouth the next time the wind plays tricks at the farm: Perhaps he’ll catch a sound all his own. Chua’s cartoon barnyard is bright, and her animals, expressive, their faces and body language slightly anthropomorphized. The edges of the figures sometimes betray their digital origins. Though the tale is humorous and will give lots of opportunity for practicing animal sounds, the audience is hard to pin down, as the young children sure to enjoy mooing and clucking may not have the patience to sit through the somewhat lengthy text.
For patient listeners, a fun visit to a mixed-up barnyard. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: March 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8075-8735-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2019
Say yes to each reread of this one.
Oliver McSnow says, “No!” to everything until his cousin Jess teaches him the power of “Yes!”
A word all too familiar to caregivers of little ones, no echoes around Oliver’s house. He turns down food, a request to clean up a mess, and even the chance to use the swings. When Jess comes to play, he says, “Yes!” before Oliver can say “No!” and off they go, swinging, scootering, and even enjoying ice cream. As it turns out, Jess just might change Oliver’s mind forever, showing him the joyful wonder of saying yes. Grabenstein’s naysayer is wholeheartedly believable, as is the exuberant, gleeful Jess. Espinosa’s illustrations perfectly capture Oliver’s exasperated parents, who are exhausted by the boy’s rejection of everything except for macaroni and cheese. The story will have readers realizing right alongside Oliver just how much fun there is in trying and doing new things. Text and illustrations are well balanced, never belaboring the message and letting Oliver’s experiences speak for themselves. Espinosa’s black-outlined illustrations capture the characters midmovement: Oliver biking through the house with one socked foot or sprinting naked through the front door. The story strikes just the right note of on-the-nose kid behavior and parent feelings with a hint of silly and a satisfying resolution. Oliver is tan-skinned, his parents are lighter-skinned, and Jess is brown-skinned. There are background characters of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Say yes to each reread of this one. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-30204-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
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