Even the most rabid members of the unicorn-loving herd should stampede away.
Will this little unicorn get her wish to soar through the bright, blue sky?
The action plays out in the patterned manner of “There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly.” Unfortunately, it struggles to achieve that classic’s familiar meter and scansion. “There was a silly unicorn who wanted to fly. / She tried by swallowing a bee, OH MY! / The buzzing would surely make her go high.” She swallows a butterfly to assist the bee. Unfortunately for the other winged creatures in her vicinity, that does not help her to “dance with the trees.” She next gulps down a bat. Still grounded, she gobbles an owl, to no avail. Even swallowing an eagle doesn’t get her into the air. But when she sees a rainbow, it magically lifts her into the sky…and the friends she swallowed in her misguided attempts to get airborne all magically pop out so they can “swirl and whirl and dance with the trees.” Barclay’s pudgy, pink unicorn and bright, generic landscapes can’t save this leaden effort, though the swirl of cakes and candies in the unicorn’s stomach do nicely echo the treacle in the text. The verse is maddeningly difficult to read aloud due to its clunky meter and frequent departure from its model’s form. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.9-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at 15.9% of actual size.)
Even the most rabid members of the unicorn-loving herd should stampede away. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-545-65188-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
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