An engaging friendship story full of imaginative details for young explorers.
An ordinary play date turns into an extraordinary sensory adventure in this graphic early reader.
An excited Mina visits friend Pie for the first time and quickly learns that Pie’s big house is full of surprises. First, Pie explains, “We always wear costumes at my house,” showing off a red-and-black cape. When Mina can’t decide on a costume, Pie’s mother (who wears pink cat ears) selects a tiara. The Sun Room is lush with plants, including cacti to both touch and not touch; the Crystal Room sparkles; the Quilt Room, for making crafts, is a treasure of textures; floating iridescent bubbles fill the Bubble Room (aka the bathroom); and the Perfumery has so many smells that Mina is overwhelmed. The children go outside to walk the maze and rest in a storage shed that is “warm…dark…and safe.” When Mina remarks, “My house is boring,” Pie helps Mina see that what Mina thinks is familiar is pretty special too. As a last sensory experience, Mina bravely tries the outdoor lunch, replete with foods unfamiliar to Mina (but possibly quite familiar to readers). Knetzger’s candy-colored panels overflow with whimsy; readers may be as relieved as Mina for the respite in the shed. The faux hand-lettered, adjective-rich text features short sentences but little repetition, suiting it for somewhat experienced readers. Mina has very light brown skin; Pie and Pie’s mom are extremely pale. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An engaging friendship story full of imaginative details for young explorers. (Graphic early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: June 8, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4497-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A snappy follow-up to Otto’s Orange Day (2008), gift-wrapped around a worthy theme and frosted with tasty wordplay.
A quick trip to the “backwards world” straightens out Otto the cat’s priorities as well as his spelling.
Having blithely announced that birthdays are more about cake, ice cream, balloons and, especially, gifts than family and friends, Otto is understandably peeved when all his party trappings are stolen. Following the thief through a gateway dubbed “the Palindrome” leads Otto to a cube-shaped world. There, garbage is dropped on the ground rather than in cans, and clothes are reversed (“Maybe next time you’ll listen to your mom and wear clean underwear,” snarks companion robot Toot). An adventuresome chase leads to the lair of Evil Olive—a tubby, green gent in the bright, cleanly drawn cartoon illustrations, topped with a red fez in place of a pimiento. Strewn with palindromes and reversed words that even emergent readers will have no trouble decoding, the miniodyssey leaves Otto in the right place: back home, partying with newly appreciated friends and family until latest invitee Evil Olive arrives with the stolen goodies.
A snappy follow-up to Otto’s Orange Day (2008), gift-wrapped around a worthy theme and frosted with tasty wordplay. (Graphic early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-9351-7933-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: TOON/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: June 25, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2013
Amiable goofiness to the nth degree—a winner.
Bean Dog and Nugget are ready for action!
Bean Dog, a pink bean, or perhaps a hot dog, with stick arms and plaid shorts, has a new ball. It’s shiny and perfect and special to him. He’s having the best day playing with his ball when he sees Nugget, a pink circle with stick arms, a bow and a skirt. She thinks his ball is great, but he won’t let her play with it. She sets off whistling, and he thinks better of his selfishness, tossing it and telling her to think fast. The ball bounces off her roundness and vanishes…into the spooky bushes. How can they get Bean Dog’s ball back? Throw snowballs at it? Donuts? Monkeys? Muffins? No, their shoes! Now their shoes are stuck too. This calls for some deep thinking and a plan: Superdog and Ninja Nugget attack the bushes with garden implements. They get their stuff back: Yeah! After a game and some cake, it really is the best day! Harper kicks off another graphic-novel series for the early-reader audience with a tale happily devoid of the potty humor and didacticism that mark her Wedgieman titles. The simplicity of the illustrations and the text will draw in young readers, who will identify with the enthusiasm and silliness of these two-color, stick-and-bean characters.
Amiable goofiness to the nth degree—a winner. (Graphic early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: May 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-307-97707-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
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