An immersive and unforgettable appreciation of a new day.
A mantra, a ritual, and a routine for greeting the day.
Our tan-skinned, dark-haired young hero, clad in striped purple and red pajamas, slips out of bed in the morning when “the sky is just thinking about daytime.” The child’s every sense is attuned as the little one leaves home and moves through the meadow; Myers draws readers’ attention to the sight of slug trails on the porch (“but no slugs”), the feel of “warm feet on the cool ground,” and the sounds of squawking, squeaking birds. The inexorable slow build of the dawn reaches its zenith when the child finds a special rock in the woods (“And now here is my sitting spot: a stone curved just for me”). It all culminates with the moment the child climbs to the top of the rock and cries, “GOOD MORNING, MORNING!” to the first beams of light before returning home. What sets this title apart isn’t simply the youngster’s familiarity with this waking world, but also the little one’s independence and comfort navigating it. Myers’ pacing is superb; her use of language veers expertly from playful to meditative and back again. Mann’s depiction of light is masterful; it shifts and changes subtly on the page with the aid of almost tactile graphite and digital art. Few will walk away without wishing for wonderful woods of their very own in which to welcome a waking world.
An immersive and unforgettable appreciation of a new day. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9780823458318
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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