A seemingly effortless story replete with gentle humor and examples of resilience, helpfulness, and flexibility.
“It’s a perfect day for a pignic.”
On a sunny, blue-sky day, a frolicsome family of pigs sets off for a festive picnic, but enjoying the day isn’t quite as easy as it seems. Minimal text and sweet, playful pencil-and-watercolor art formatted in comic-strip panels and full- and double-page spreads show Phelan’s hardy porcine heroes as they valiantly set out on a worthy quest to enjoy themselves. But climbing trees can be hard when you’re short—is there anyone who can give a piglet a lift? Maybe a friendly tortoise can provide a step….And flying a kite can be a challenge without wind—is there anyone who can supply some? Perhaps a wolf with a lungful of hot air….The meal goes well (“Pretzels! Pies! Pickles! And plums!”), but when it looks as though a storm is coming (“Uh-oh. Dark clouds”), it’s up to the pigs to find the best in a bad situation. Mud, anyone? This warm, nearly wordless story is a nice choice for young listeners and early readers, who will bask in the light of this sparkling celebration of togetherness, goodwill, and the great outdoors. More sophisticated readers will wonder at the wolf’s intentions; what they will see as a change in heart brought about by the pigs’ disarming charm, younger readers will simply see as good-hearted fellow feeling.
A seemingly effortless story replete with gentle humor and examples of resilience, helpfulness, and flexibility. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-244339-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends.
Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both!
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!” The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) highlight the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2008, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank.
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85213-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender...
A polar-bear parent speaks poetically of love for a child.
A genderless adult and cub travel through the landscapes of an arctic year. Each of the softly rendered double-page paintings has a very different feel and color palette as the pair go through the seasons, walking through wintry ice and snow and green summer meadows, cavorting in the blue ocean, watching whales, and playing beside musk oxen. The rhymes of the four-line stanzas are not forced, as is the case too often in picture books of this type: “When cold, winter winds / blow the leaves far and wide, / You’ll cross the great icebergs / with me by your side.” On a dark, snowy night, the loving parent says: “But for now, cuddle close / while the stars softly shine. // I’ll always be yours, / and you’ll always be mine.” As the last illustration shows the pair curled up for sleep, young listeners will be lulled to sweet dreams by the calm tenor of the pictures and the words. While far from original, this timeless theme is always in demand, and the combination of delightful illustrations and poetry that scans well make this a good choice for early-childhood classrooms, public libraries, and one-on-one home read-alouds.
Parent-child love and affection, appealingly presented, with the added attraction of the seasonal content and lack of gender restrictions. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-070-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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