A clever tale of invention and creativity.
A young inventor designs the perfect prosthetic leg for her after-school activities in DeJong’s illustrated children’s book.
Freckle-faced Lucy, who was born “with one regular leg and one little leg,” has a special talent. She’s an inventor who has a workshop in her closet for building special prosthetic legs. Before school, she debates which one she’ll wear. Her spring leg will be too bouncy, and the flipper on her swimming leg might trip her up in the classroom. Her snowboard leg is out of season. Finally, Lucy decides on her walking leg, which does everything she needs—until it flies off when she kicks a soccer ball too hard. Luckily, a friend catches and returns it, so Lucy can go to dance class. One thing she can’t do in ballet is get her walking leg to point; she returns to her workshop and soon returns with a perfectly pointed, sparkly ballerina leg. The “fancy leg” is just right for all her activities, but especially for ballet. DeJong uses accessible language in a conversational tone to engage young readers. Lucy is a cheerful, smart protagonist who doesn’t let the lack of a pointed toe get her down for long. Instead, she recognizes problems and finds solutions, surrounding herself with supportive friends and family. DeJong captures the protagonist’s attitude in phrases such as “She had a lot more legs than most of her friends.” Lucy’s community readily accepts her differences and values her imagination and skill, which young readers with their own assistive devices may find affirming. Illustrator Reyes captures Lucy’s enthusiasm and inventiveness in her full-color cartoon illustrations. The scenes that Lucy imagines when she pictures wearing the wrong leg capture her humor, and Reyes’ use of lighting gives the images welcome depth. Lucy is depicted with brown skin; other characters have a range of skin tones.
A clever tale of invention and creativity.Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781039196810
Page Count: 28
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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