Next book

WHEN THE AIR SANG

An appealing demonstration of the rhythms of the natural world.

Insects enchant a young nature explorer.

One spring, brown-skinned Annie discovers something new: periodical cicadas. She follows their lives with the help of her great-grandmother, grandmother, and pregnant mother. Much waiting is involved, which frustrates Annie. First, holes appear in the ground. Next, insects emerge, climb trees, shed their shells, and unfurl their wings. A few days later, they begin to sing, calling out from the trees. Annie wants to get closer to observe them, but she isn’t yet big enough to manage climbing a tree. Still, “some things are worth the wait”—a realization the child comes to with the help of her loving family. Seventeen years later, she climbs cicada-filled trees with a younger sibling. Bontje’s clear, expressive text provides the basic facts about the cicada life cycle, supplemented by helpful backmatter that offers a timeline of the insect’s life. Whang’s cozy illustrations include photos of Annie’s great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother as children, helping readers follow along as the story moves back and forth in time and the older family members recall the cicadas of their childhoods. Along the way, this multiracial family prepares for the new baby—a narrative device that nicely underscores the theme of the cyclical nature of life.

An appealing demonstration of the rhythms of the natural world. (selected sources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: April 8, 2025

ISBN: 9781773219660

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Annick Press

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025

Awards & Accolades

Likes

  • Readers Vote
  • 42


Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
  • GET IT


  • New York Times Bestseller

Next book

LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

Awards & Accolades

Likes

  • Readers Vote
  • 42


Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
  • GET IT


  • New York Times Bestseller

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

Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
  • GET IT


  • New York Times Bestseller


  • IndieBound Bestseller


  • Caldecott Honor Book

Next book

CREEPY CARROTS!

Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.

Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
  • GET IT


  • New York Times Bestseller


  • IndieBound Bestseller


  • Caldecott Honor Book

Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.

Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.

Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012

ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012

Categories:
Close Quickview