LUCY AND COMPANY

A charming book about the joy of sharing with friends, with the added benefit of reinforcing counting skills.

An adventurous little girl explores the natural world around her with her animal friends.

Three stories make up this sweet, accessible picture book. The stories are separated by yellow pages, making it easy for children to return to their favorite of the three. The cheery watercolors and simply drawn figures will appeal to young children. Lucy, a little white girl with rosy cheeks, heads outdoors for a picnic in the first story, “The Snack.” She finds a tree to sit in and invites four friends, Marcel the mouse, Henry the rabbit, Dot the turtle, and Adrian the snail, to join her. Map in hand, Lucy and her friends set out to find a treasure in “The Treasure Hunt,” counting steps as they go. In the last story, “The Hatchlings,” the friends help three little birds find their way in the world. Lucy figures prominently on nearly every page, surrounded by her smiling, rosy-cheeked friends. A landscape layout of oblong illustrations, gently rounded at the corners, guides readers through Lucy’s adventures as she confidently strides across the pages. The text (in uncredited translation) is simple but wry, offering chuckles all the way through. A frontispiece map not unlike Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood shows all of the essential spots where the action takes place.

A charming book about the joy of sharing with friends, with the added benefit of reinforcing counting skills. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-77138-662-3

Page Count: 56

Publisher: Kids Can

Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016

LLAMA LLAMA'S LITTLE LIE

A spot-on series installment that imparts a valuable lesson on the importance of honesty.

Will Llama Llama come clean after breaking one of Mama’s prized possessions?

While Mama Llama gardens outdoors, Llama Llama and a friend who appears to be a young goat play inside. Their boisterous activities include pillow fighting, running up the stairs and sliding down the bannister, swinging from lamps, and jumping on the sofa—fun that is possible “Only when Mama is not there.” They move on to playing catch: Llama Llama throws vigorously, and the ball shatters Mama’s favorite picture frame. Uh-oh. What to do? The pair consider running to Kalamazoo. When Mama returns, Llama Llama first blames the wind, then a dinosaur, then a meteorite. Mama doubts these possibilities, and Llama Llama cries but admits to the lie. Mama praises his courage, and the three of them repair the frame. Later, throwing a pass outside, Mama breaks a window herself! With humor and sympathy, this tale brings to life a very common experience that will resonate with preschoolers. Mama reacts with model parenting, and Llama Llama quickly accepts the blame and the necessity of truth-telling. Morrow’s illustrations add both drama and a reassuring note. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A spot-on series installment that imparts a valuable lesson on the importance of honesty. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2023

ISBN: 9780593352489

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: May 9, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2023

PERFECTLY NORMAN

From the Big Bright Feelings series

A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.

A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.

Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”

A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: May 1, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018

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