A short but sweet picture book offering children with dyslexia a new way to approach unexpected challenges.
Robby the taxi must cope with an unexpected change to his routine in Lynn and Jonathan Greenberg’s picture book.
Robby is a small yellow taxi in the big, big city of Greensborough. He’s dyslexic; the narrator explains, “He has trouble reading the signs he drives under, but he is the most creative little cab you’ll ever meet!” His solution is to memorize the routes he travels, and his employer, Creative Cab Company, is happy to accommodate him by allowing him to drive the same route every day. However, one day, when Robby picks up his client, Mr. Walter, the businessman throws him for a loop when he announces a last-minute change in plans that requires him to go to the airport. While the lesson about staying calm to come up with unconventional ideas is strong, the build-up to Robby’s triumph over his problem is minimal—more fleshing out of the narrative would have increased the tension and its ultimate relief. Jonathan Greenberg’s watercolor illustrations are colorful and childlike, echoing Robby’s own personality. Robby’s expressions are clear to the reader, like when he learns about the route change and lines around his eyes indicate his surprise. The book is typeset in a dyslexic-friendly font.
A short but sweet picture book offering children with dyslexia a new way to approach unexpected challenges.Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9798987227909
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Empower Publishing LLC
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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