An occasionally charming but unextraordinary story of interspecies friendship.
Veronika and her dog Stewie have some fun adventures in the park in Scavone’s debut picture book.
Dog Stewie and Veronika are the best of friends. They love to go their local park to play and explore. They begin by catching butterflies and bumblebees, then encounter some new animal friends—namely fish, frogs, and ducks—as they relax by the lake. Veronika tells her pet, “Stewie, Stewie, I love you / and all the special things we do. Stewie, Stewie, you are my best friend, / I never want this day to end.” Unfortunately, though, the day must eventually end, as they head home after basking in the sunshine and frolicking about in nature. The author is heavy on the rhyming couplets but light on plot. The fish that startles Stewie and Veronika appears at first glance to be a welcome source of drama in the story, but the author moves on to briefly describe the other animals the pair meet instead. There is no dramatic tension to capture a young reader’s attention. However, a preschooler who enjoys calm, meandering slice-of-life stories would be drawn to this one. Scavone’s digital illustrations are sunny and saturated, though his skill in depicting animals, particularly cute Stewie, may not make up for the vacant, haunted look in Veronika’s eyes and the odd smile he gives her on every page.
An occasionally charming but unextraordinary story of interspecies friendship.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2023
ISBN: 978-1088117156
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Sure to have little ones giggling.
Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”
Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.
Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250814388
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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