Politely contrarian and utterly charming.
A nonconformist polar bear navigates classroom dynamics on his own terms.
“Everyone says NO sometimes. Bartleby says, ‘I prefer not to.’ He says it a lot.” Dressed nattily in his red bowler hat, tie, and overalls, Bartleby sets himself apart from his peers, distancing himself physically and opting out of group activities. “For free play, everyone chooses a toy. ‘I prefer not to,’” says Bartleby, sitting alone. Circle time, music class, recess? He’d prefer not to. I prefer not to is quite different than saying no, and Bartleby’s refrain of passive resistance has a particular effect on his perplexed-looking classmates. When their teacher, Ms. Melville (natch), invites the students to create self-portraits at art time, bystander Bartleby finds a creative way to participate on his own terms, in his own time. Secondary characters—all anthropomorphic animals—and scenery in gently expressive ink brush lines with muted watercolor tones starkly contrast with knobby-eared Bartleby’s eccentric scarlet attire and crisp white fur, further emphasizing the youngster’s singularity. In this ever-so-slightly philosophical addition to the canon of you-do-you picture books, the pragmatic text and diminutive trim size further bolster a civilly dissenting message. Brace yourselves, grown-ups: Bartleby’s refrain, taken straight from Herman Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” seems destined to enter vernacular among young readers, whether you’d prefer that or not.
Politely contrarian and utterly charming. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780374393557
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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