All in all, this is a fun one.
No one knows how it happened, but somehow, young Lucy finds herself falling straight down the mountain, and it is just as terrifying for her as you would imagine.
Readers first meet protagonist Lucy on the reverse of the title page as she begins to fall down the mountain, a tiny figure tumbling down next to the copyright statement. Opposite the gutter, in a closer view, she is seen to be wide-eyed and cold, and all manner of things are tumbling out of her backpack. As luck would have it, she meets a “mountain man” along the way who can throw her a rope…except he throws it away instead. Down and down she goes, meeting a kooky cast of characters (a “bungeeing duck”—who actually isn’t bungeeing; a “great, shuffling pile of bears”) along the way. Bright illustrations with vivid colors and a very expressive Lucy give this quirky, quick nonsense tale a whole lot of personality. Large type scattered across the pages along with Lucy and her belongings make it fun for new readers. Lucy’s personality shines through as she ultimately is able to save herself from her predicament, hitting the snow with heads and legs tucked so she turns into a “tiny kid comet,” even if she can’t rescue herself from puking (although kids will find this hilarious). Lucy has brown skin and straight, dark hair, and the mountain man is brown-skinned as well.
All in all, this is a fun one. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 30, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-374-30608-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good choice for offering comfort and support to a budding perfectionist.
Can anyone be perfect?
Beatrice Bottomwell always does everything right. “Most people in town didn’t even know Beatrice’s name. They just called her ‘The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes,’ because for as long as anyone could remember, she never did.” One Thursday though, she almost does something wrong (she drops some eggs while cooking at school but catches them just in time). Straightforward text describes Beatrice’s predicament as, unnerved, she ponders her almost-error and begins to worry. What if she really does do something wrong? Brightly colored watercolors and gentle humor combine to portray Beatrice’s eventful day, her growing fear and her sprightly pet hamster. During a school talent show, Beatrice finally makes a real mistake—in front of everyone. How will she cope? Learning how to relax enough to laugh and simply be herself just might do the trick. While the plot is predictable and the solution to the problem fairly pat, this is a well-intentioned story, full of acceptance and goodwill. It will be especially useful in a therapeutic setting; it may be a real comfort to a child who is afraid of making mistakes, while children dealing with similar issues will also find reassurance here.
A good choice for offering comfort and support to a budding perfectionist. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4022-5544-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2011
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
