Mesmerizing.
A lesser-known story by the Goodnight Moon author is freshly illustrated for a new audience.
Even those most familiar with Brown’s beautiful and unsettling picture books will find themselves floored by this, arguably her most evocative, tale. At the edge of a mysterious woods, an old man sells honey and asparagus. The forest is home to golden birds whose lovely song can just be heard from its edges, but rumors say that those who enter never return, and when two children come to live with the elder, he warns them away from the woods. Yet when the old man grows gravely ill, the boy disobeys, entering the forest to bring back “the magic of the golden birds.” Brown’s exquisitely lyrical writing is that of an author at the top of her form; she infuses her narrative with enigmas as she grapples with themes of loss and death. An eerie, blue-infused half-light suffuses Amit’s art, ensnaring characters in the shadows of trees. In an afterword, Marginalian Editions founder Maria Popova, who rediscovered this obscure tale (long out of print), discusses its origins as a love letter to Brown’s difficult lover Michael Strange as she was dying of leukemia. Calling it “this crepuscular story aglow with love and longing,” Popova gives the book its long-delayed due. This is storytelling given free rein to turn up the weirdness, lyricism, and power of the written word to maximum effect. Characters are pale-skinned.
Mesmerizing. (Picture book. 7-adult)Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2026
ISBN: 9781961341630
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Marginalian Editions
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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