A delightful, colorful book with a lesson about loss and responsibility.
Ella and Lola go to market together, but not everything goes as planned in Urban’s illustrated children’s book
Gray toy bunny Lola hasn’t learned her lesson since her last adventure with her special friend, human girl Ella, in Hop Lola Hop (2022). As this story starts, the two are on good terms as they embark on a series of tasty adventures, including eating ice cream, baking treats, and planning a picnic. They finally depart for the farmers market with Ella’s mom, where they encounter dozens of stalls that catch their eye. The girl and bunny wander off alone and find themselves in the part of the market that has soap, flowers, and produce, not all of which they need for their picnic. Illustrator Kalla zooms out on the rich, brightly colored location, showing just how big and disorienting it is. Like other illustrations, it celebrates the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but readers will be able to spot Ella’s mom looking around in worry. Lola’s having so much fun that she wanders away again, leaving Ella in distress: “It certainly wasn’t the first time for Lola to disappear,” writes Urban, “but that didn’t mean Ella would get used to losing her—not today—not EVER!” This story insightfully shows how Ella’s losing Lola overlaps with Ella’s mom’s losing her daughter; it will teach children about the importance of staying with your companions and how to solve a problem when it arises. It conveys this message in a cute, child-friendly way that will appeal to many preschoolers. The formatting gives the text extra verve as it rises and falls (“Hop! Hop! Hop!”) or becomes larger to emphasize particular words (“TOO LONG”). At the end of the story, Urban invites readers to make strawberry pancakes of their own, using a recipe at the back of the book.
A delightful, colorful book with a lesson about loss and responsibility.Pub Date: June 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781912678808
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Steps Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Sure to have little ones giggling.
Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”
Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.
Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250814388
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A powerful affirmation for all dads—the good, the flawed, and those doing the best they can.
Dedicating his latest to “caregivers who give what they never got,” Caldecott Honor winner Robinson explores complicated feelings around fatherhood.
From the outset, the book appears to be a standard-issue Father’s Day offering, pairing brief, loving sentiments with images of animals. But it soon becomes clear that Robinson has crafted something much more complex. A frog with tadpoles nestled atop his back (“Dad is here”) is followed by an illustration of an owl leaving the nest (“Dad had to go away”). More contrasts are presented: a seahorse keeping his offspring safe in his pouch (“Dad holds on tight”), two shark pups swimming away from their frenzied-looking patriarch (“Dad need lots of space”). “Dad lets you down and makes mistakes” (a porcupine accidentally jabs his little one), but “Dad picks you up and makes you feel safe” (a lion snuggles his cub). And the human fathers we meet next—diverse in skin tone and ability—are equally multifaceted. Robinson outdoes himself, his bold and richly textured paint and collage artwork popping against the background. His artwork is rife with subtleties for careful readers—for instance, the look of uncertainty in the eyes of the gorilla father described as “strong.” For all its simplicity, this colorful book is laden with meaning, depicting fathers as vulnerable, imperfect, gentle, and empathetic—in a word, deeply human.
A powerful affirmation for all dads—the good, the flawed, and those doing the best they can. (more information on the animals presented) (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
ISBN: 9781250397041
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
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