A read-aloud filled to the brim with delight and a contagious sense of glee.
A yawn travels ’round the town.
Upon waking up, a brown-skinned child yawns, stretches, and kicks off a circular story that spans the whole city and an entire day. The yawn passes first to Mom and Dad, its force so mighty that they spill their coffee and drip jam off their toast. Then the family cat heads outside, stretches, and passes the yawn along to a dog on a walk with its elderly owner, who opens his mouth so wide, he loses his dentures. The yawn moves farther away from the child’s home into a nearby park where a girl yawns and swallows a fly and a skateboarding kiddo flips into a pond. As the yawn travels, its impact becomes more exaggerated. It forces a magician to reveal a whole flock of birds from a hat, two boxers to miss their punches, and a whole audience to yawn through their standing ovation at a ballet performance. At last, the yawn returns home to the child who originated it, and readers are surprised with another silly sound. Majewski’s painterly illustrations are a riot of bold colors. The design is excellent; vignettes are broken up by white space and full double-page spreads that youngsters will linger over, savoring every small detail. The eye-catching illustrations, paired with the classic circular storytelling style, make this the perfect addition to bedtime rotations. Characters vary in skin tone.
A read-aloud filled to the brim with delight and a contagious sense of glee. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9780063314245
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
A good choice for offering comfort and support to a budding perfectionist.
Can anyone be perfect?
Beatrice Bottomwell always does everything right. “Most people in town didn’t even know Beatrice’s name. They just called her ‘The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes,’ because for as long as anyone could remember, she never did.” One Thursday though, she almost does something wrong (she drops some eggs while cooking at school but catches them just in time). Straightforward text describes Beatrice’s predicament as, unnerved, she ponders her almost-error and begins to worry. What if she really does do something wrong? Brightly colored watercolors and gentle humor combine to portray Beatrice’s eventful day, her growing fear and her sprightly pet hamster. During a school talent show, Beatrice finally makes a real mistake—in front of everyone. How will she cope? Learning how to relax enough to laugh and simply be herself just might do the trick. While the plot is predictable and the solution to the problem fairly pat, this is a well-intentioned story, full of acceptance and goodwill. It will be especially useful in a therapeutic setting; it may be a real comfort to a child who is afraid of making mistakes, while children dealing with similar issues will also find reassurance here.
A good choice for offering comfort and support to a budding perfectionist. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4022-5544-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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