A mix of medieval derring-do and Hanukkah preparation and celebration.
A map of a castle and its environs opens the tale. The eight knights, diverse in gender and race, are siblings, the children of Lady Sadie. She sends them forth on great steeds to foil the “dastardly dragon named Dreadful,” which is wreaking havoc with the realm’s Hanukkah celebrations. Their weapons are “awesome kindness and stupendous bravery.” Sir Alex carves a replacement for a charred dreidel. Sir Gabriel helps prepare latkes. Sir Margaret assists with making applesauce. Others perform the “mitzvah of bringing chicken soup to the hungry,” fry doughnuts, and clean the castle. The last two—Sir Isabella and Sir Rugelach—prepare to do battle with the dragon until they discover that it is just a “baby dragon” named Rosie. And so their Round Table is filled with tasty treats and a menorah while guests and brave deed-doers fill the seats. And readers will not be surprised to see who lights the candles. The narrative is laced with medievalesque wordage as in “Hark! Methinks” and “Worryeth not.” Colorful cartoon illustrations portray happy encounters between the knights and the ordinary folk, interspersed with hints to the dragon’s whereabouts.
For those on a quest for a different take on a holiday tail—oops!—tale. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3958-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
Categories: CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS
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