Somewhat simplistic in both art and story arc but good for a chuckle or two in early storytimes and for those just beginning...
What can you say about a title that includes three exclamation points? That it is full of pastel colors, that its hero is a monster called Declan (named only on the cover flap) and that it has very few words.
Declan is light blue with darker blue polka dots and has orange horns and a pink puffball at the end of his tail, and he greets everything: trees, clouds, butterflies and—bunnies!!! Four bunnies (peach, mint green, pink and blue) are quite startled by his enthusiasm; in fact, they flee it. Declan is crestfallen. He listlessly continues through the woods, saying hello limply to rock and stump and slug until he sees the foursome again, and they once again dash out of sight. Declan sadly greets a log and then the dirt and is drifting off into a sleepy funk when the bunnies approach, realizing he will not hurt them. They tap him on the back, and he wakes to spin them around and dance and play. But wait! Soon he is distracted by birdies! The birdies are pretty startled, too. Declan definitely has a toddler’s personality, especially one who finds his energy is overwhelming for some playmates. His friendship drama plays out in a mix of horizontal panels, full-page illustrations and double-page spreads (when he is at his most manic).
Somewhat simplistic in both art and story arc but good for a chuckle or two in early storytimes and for those just beginning to pick out words—like BUNNIES!!! (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-230783-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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