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UNFLAPPABLE

Name: UNFLAPPABLE
Author: Matthew Ward
ISBN: 9780358400059

by Matthew Ward ; illustrated by Scott Magoon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 17, 2023

This high-flying charmer rises to the top.

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Who says wings are required to fly? Sometimes an uplifting boost to your spirits is all you need.

The three winged, albeit flightless, avian stars of this empowering picture book feel wistful that they can’t do what most birds do, but their sadness is brief. As they observe their fellow birds flying effortlessly, they’re determined to do it, too, no matter what it takes. They train, exercise, dream, and make literal plans—preparing detailed schematic drawings and blueprints—and also construct models and flying-machine prototypes. Despite their collaborative work and tenacity, however, they sometimes make mistakes and miscalculate, so they haven’t flown…yet. Sometimes they want to give up, but they’re birds and nothing if not, er, dogged and ready for every challenge. Can you guess how this story about cooperation, self-confidence, and sheer persistence ends? Young readers, who will have been rooting for these characters all along, will cheer—as do the other birds—not only for the threesome’s ultimate success, but also for this very simply told tale about perseverance, the steadfast pursuit of dreams, and having an unflagging belief in oneself. The colorful digital illustrations are loaded with warmth and energy, as are the expressive protagonists. These are characters kids will want to emulate as they attempt to spread their own independent wings or try to conquer hurdles they didn’t believe they could.

This high-flying charmer rises to the top. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023

ISBN: 9780358400059

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
WAR OF THE WORLD RECORDS
by Matthew Ward

- BOOK REVIEW
THE FANTASTIC FAMILY WHIPPLE
by Matthew Ward

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK LOST AND FOUND

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2026

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.

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Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.

After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026

ISBN: 9780063436121

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)