This magical, imaginative, humorously illustrated tale may quell the fears of readers scared of storms.
A boy who is frightened of thunder embarks on an amazing journey to find out what causes the roar in this debut picture book.
The narrator, a bespectacled White boy with short brown hair and a feline companion, hears a boom in the sky and gets nervous. But despite hiding under the covers, the kid feels no better. After recalling other storms, he sets off, determined to identify who’s behind the roar and tell the villain to stop. With a balloon harness worthy of a Pixar movie, the narrator floats into the clouds, discovering ballerina sky pirates and intrepid firefighters before realizing that the rumble comes from an angry dinosaur mama, whose children have destroyed her pie. After the resourceful mama makes another one and the dino kids share a slice with the narrator, the boy returns home, no longer scared of thunder. Weaver’s opening is true to childhood fears of storms, making the whimsical journey feel even more enchanting. The author’s rhyming text scans well, featuring some challenging vocabulary words (scramble, oodles, scrumptious) for newly independent readers. Weaver’s digital cartoon illustrations employ bright colors, even during the storm. The boy’s cat appears in almost every spread, sometimes costumed or mischievous but always providing insight into the narrator’s emotions. A recipe for berry pie at the end, best made with an adult’s help, may encourage young readers to bake dinosaur desserts during tempests.
This magical, imaginative, humorously illustrated tale may quell the fears of readers scared of storms.Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73626-730-1
Page Count: 36
Publisher: A Little Offbeat Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 24, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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