An especially sweet pet adoption tale.
A shelter cat describes a straightforward, ultimately joyous journey from cage to cozy home.
Greeting readers from an enclosure at the animal shelter, Crouton watches potential families each day and dreams of finding “my person.” When a young girl with distinctive buns and skin the white of the page finally chooses Crouton, the narrative follows their bonding process through typical pet-owner activities: grooming, feeding, and bedtime routines. Lombardi’s pencil illustrations employ a restrained palette of black, gray, and bubble gum pink that creates visual cohesion and a soothing atmosphere. The rounded character and scene designs, along with consistently sweet compositions, maintain an appropriately tender tone throughout. The first-person feline narration brims with charm, particularly in Crouton’s observations about the young girl’s quirks and the cat’s patient assistance with her daily activities; especially lovely is Crouton’s cat-centric interpretation of events (“I get her out the door just in time to make the bus,” “When she comes home from school, I help her focus on her homework”). The storyline follows a familiar arc that will feel comfortable to young readers seeking reassurance about pet adoption. With warmth and sincerity, Lombardi touches on themes of patience, companionship, and belonging. The representation of shelter life is gentle and accessible for the target audience. Young cat enthusiasts will find comfort in the familiar beats of pet ownership and the message that all animals can find their perfect match.
An especially sweet pet adoption tale. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
ISBN: 9798217029167
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
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
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