An engaging, kindness-centered collection of largely unrelated, upbeat moments.
Animals, both real and magical, share things that make them happy in this second installment of the Unicorn Jazz picture-book series.
After a short introduction by the bespectacled honeybee Bee Happy, Caprelli’s cheerful story offers ideas about what makes the anthropomorphized cast of animals smile. Each page starts with the words “Bee-ing Happy Is,” followed by concepts both personal (making a birthday wish) and friend-focused (writing someone a letter or giving a pal a balloon). Many of the pages suggest activities to share with friends or family, while others discuss more solitary endeavors involving nature. The author’s repeated opening gives the lap crowd a chance to jump in on each page as well as bolstering the confidence of newly emergent readers. The simple phrases at the bottoms of the pages are skillfully reflected by Villalobos’ cartoon illustrations, providing emergent readers extra clues to decipher unfamiliar words. But one word on each page that’s key to the image is depicted with every letter in a different color, which may create challenges for some readers. The heavily shaded pictures have a hand-drawn feel, sometimes with the colors slipping beyond their outlines, making the pages seem busy. While each illustration features Bee Happy (encouraging readers to spot the insect), the other characters—even Unicorn Jazz—are not consistently present, making it hard to get to know the players. Fans already familiar with the series or the related TV show may connect with the cast more easily.
An engaging, kindness-centered collection of largely unrelated, upbeat moments.Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-951203-02-3
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Happy and Fun Lifestyle LLC
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
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
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