Take a turn beneath the stars with this gently spiritual paean to the power and pleasure of dancing without fear.
L’Engle’s 1969 retelling of the biblical tale of the flight into Egypt finds new life on the picture-book page.
“Once there was a night in the desert when nobody was afraid and everybody danced.” As the story begins, danger looms, and a family of three—Mary, Joseph, and a toddler-aged Jesus, though they go unnamed—seek to cross the desert in a caravan. They’re refused passage by a number of caravans, but one deigns to pick them up. One evening, as members of the caravan play different instruments, a lion appears. Unafraid, the child approaches, and the two begin to dance. Soon the lion is followed by a veritable zoo of animals, including everything from penguins and pelicans to adders and ostriches. At long last the youngster sleeps, and the dawn breaks. “The dance was over. The journey would continue.” Though abridged, L’Engle’s lilting text still features the literary embellishments of the earlier edition, as when she notes that a desert is like an ocean: “And then suddenly there is nothing, nothing but waves of sand shifting and sliding in the wind, stretching out to eternity on every side.” Le’s ethereal illustrations evoke both beauty and whimsy as beasts and birds cavort upon the sand. The result will please both parochial and secular readers. Most characters are tan- or brown-skinned.
Take a turn beneath the stars with this gently spiritual paean to the power and pleasure of dancing without fear. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2025
ISBN: 9780374391287
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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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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