Who can’t enjoy a book that so engages the mind and expands the imagination—and in which everybody is so polite, too.
Sebastian rescues an injured crow while playing in his favorite spot in the woods, leading to a curious adventure.
After her rescue, the crow comes across a cat who has grown tired of his ball of yarn. She asks for it politely and then gives it to Sebastian as a gift. Sebastian has no need for the yarn but accepts it graciously. Then the crow comes across a baker with spoons in his rubbish bin. She asks for them, again politely, and takes them to Sebastian as a gift too. Then come the traffic cone from the witch (she was using it as a hat), the enormous can of soda from the giant, and other interesting objects in an engaging sequence. Readers will be fascinated, one page after another, to watch how the gifts take shape together in the woods. “SQUAAAAWK!” says the crow, every now and then, with personality and determination. She seems to have an end goal in mind for the collected junk, and she does not disappoint. This pleasant debut picture book from Minkovitz and Medina will have readers always wondering what will happen next. Medina’s style is reminiscent of Jon Klassen’s, distinguished by matte textures, spare use of color, and flat planes; it’s an excellent companion to Minkovitz’s wry, understated text. Sebastian is blue.
Who can’t enjoy a book that so engages the mind and expands the imagination—and in which everybody is so polite, too. (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9987999-8-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Penny Candy
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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