Sibling dynamics resonate with young readers, who will find laughter and reassurance in the gentle message.
Two young sisters have difficulty sharing a room.
They are different in almost every way. Lilly is neat and organized while Leah is messy and scattered. Lilly just can’t cope with Leah’s wild habits, and Leah can’t understand what Lilly is fussing about. So Lilly announces that only a zoo animal would be the perfect roommate for Leah and leaves in a huff. Leah actually thinks that’s a pretty good idea and posts a notice for a zoo-mate, one who would enjoy messy, noisy activities without wanting to clean up afterward. A series of creatures tries out for the position, but none is successful. Leah’s beloved toy Monkey takes the brunt of the disasters. The snake tries to eat it, the kangaroo drips paint on it, and the penguin makes the room so cold that Monkey is trapped in a block of ice. The lemur is fun, but its antics put Monkey at risk. So she cleans up her act, literally, and places a new notice with lots of compromises. Of course Lilly returns and their truce holds, because it is totally better to be together. Leer addresses the sisters’ issues with a light touch and no preaching allowed, and bright, appealing illustrations add much detail, making clear that Monkey is a toy animal and that all the contenders for the zoo-mate position are quite possibly toys as well, though delightfully animated. Exactly what danger the lemur puts Monkey into is unclear, however.
Sibling dynamics resonate with young readers, who will find laughter and reassurance in the gentle message. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-8075-9565-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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