by Laura Gehl ; illustrated by Paco Sordo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2018
Competent but profoundly uninspiring. (Picture book. 3-7)
When Zogby, a big, brown bear, applies for a job as delivery bear—a job he has wanted since he was a “tiny cub”—the hiring manager, a small, purple rabbit, says, “You just don’t have the Fluffy Tail Cookies look.”
It is striking for a picture book to open with this sort of reference; the manager seems to be outright discriminating against Zogby. Still, Zogby pleads for a chance, and the manager gives him a one-day trial. His clients are terrified of Zogby once they see him: Mrs. Rabbit and Mr. Beaver each scream, “AAHHHHH!!” upon opening their doors. Zogby alters his appearance after these rejections, donning bunny ears and a fluffy tail. He finally reminds himself that he is “special” and makes up a song to go along with his newfound confidence: “I am big, and I am hairy! / But I promise, I’m not scary!” Mrs. Mole and Mr. Porcupine then accept his cookie deliveries with grace and hospitality. It’s a peculiar resolution to an awkward book: The animals in this story are prejudiced against Zogby’s appearance, but it is up to Zogby to ameliorate their fears. The burden, it seems, lies with the oppressed rather than the oppressor, making this a very unprogressive tale. Sordo’s bright, cartoonish illustrations are zippy but can’t mitigate its central flaw.
Competent but profoundly uninspiring. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8075-1532-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
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by Hoda Kotb ; illustrated by Chloe Dominique ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024
Pleasant enough but not particularly original.
Uplifting messages of positivity from the Today show anchor.
Hope springs eternal, so the saying goes. Kotb agrees, here delivering to children the cheery news that hope lives inside all of them and that whatever they might wish for can be theirs. All they need is a sunny outlook, and the possibilities for happy outcomes are virtually endless. Children’s dreams can be in-the-moment ones—like purple ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry—or more far-ranging ones, such as growing tall enough to reach that high shelf easily or for hair that’s long enough to braid. It doesn’t matter, the author reassures young readers. Your aspirations will be realized, so don’t give up on them—just keep believing in them and, most of all, in yourself. Throughout, Kotb calls hope a rainbow, a feeling, a gift, and a wish. Hope is “new friends you’ll find— / friends who are loving and funny and kind.” Hope is “practicing your heart out, letter by letter.” The book’s overarching theme is upbeat, but its bouncy rhyming text is clumsy. The child-appealing illustrations are colorful and lively, though they have a generic look. The cast of wide-eyed characters is racially diverse; some have visible disabilities.
Pleasant enough but not particularly original. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780593624128
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
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by Hoda Kotb ; illustrated by Suzie Mason
by Karma Wilson ; illustrated by Jane Chapman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 16, 2024
Cheery fun that will leave series fans “egg”-static.
In his latest outing, Bear and his pals go in search of eggs.
Bear “lumbers with his friends through the Strawberry Vale.” Raven finds a nest; climbing up, “The bear finds eggs!”: a refrain that appears throughout. Instead of eating the robin’s eggs, however, Bear leaves a gift of dried berries in the nest for the “soon-to-be-chicks.” Next, the friends find 10 mallard eggs (as bright blue as the robin’s), and Bear leaves sunflower seeds. Then the wail of Mama Meadowlark, whose bright yellow undercarriage strikes a warm golden note, leads them to promise to find her lost eggs. With his friends’ assistance, Bear finds one, and they decide to paint them “so they aren’t lost again.” Another is discovered, painted, and placed in Hare’s basket. After hours of persistent searching, Bear suddenly spots the remaining two eggs “in a small patch of clover.” Before they can return these eggs, the chicks hatch and rejoin their mother. Back at his lair, Bear, with his troupe, is visited by all 17 chicks and the robin, mallard, and meadowlark moms: “And the bear finds friends!” Though this sweet spring tale centers on finding and painting eggs, it makes no overt references to Easter. The soft green and blue acrylics, predictable rhymes, and rolling rhythm make this series installment another low-key natural read-aloud.
Cheery fun that will leave series fans “egg”-static. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781665936552
Page Count: 40
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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