Burgeoning readers will eagerly dig in.
A tunneling penguin stars in this title for the newest of readers.
A mole might have been a more logical character choice, especially given the bucolic, decidedly un-Antarctic setting, but the anthropomorphic penguin (referred to as “the tunneler”) makes a winning protagonist. Wearing a hard hat and wielding a shovel, the tunneler is introduced on the copyright page in front of a ramshackle house and a few buckets, including one holding orange papers, each emblazoned with a yellow star. On each spread, the unseen narrator informs us that “the tunneler tunnels in the tunnel.” The titular phrase repeats on the right-hand side of each spread as the tunneler pops out of the ground to greet other penguins and hand each of them one of the orange papers. These other characters are similarly identified by their occupations: “The gardener gardens in the garden.” “The farmer farms on the farm.” At the book’s conclusion, readers discover that the papers were invitations to a rock concert, held (appropriately enough) by a large nearby stone. Lo and behold, the tunneler is also a “rocker,” and “as the rocker rocks on the rock,” “the dancers dance at the dance!” Playful cartoon illustrations will help youngsters decode the spare, repetitive text as details in the cross-sections of underground tunnels provide visual interest.
Burgeoning readers will eagerly dig in. (Early reader. 4-6)Pub Date: July 22, 2025
ISBN: 9781665962100
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note.
Little Honey Bunny Funnybunny loves baseball almost as much as she loves her big brother P.J.—though it’s a close-run thing.
Readers familiar with the pranks P.J. plays on his younger sibling in older episodes of the series (most illustrated by Roger Bollen) will be amused—and perhaps a little confused—to see him in the role of perfect big brother after meeting his swaddled little sister for the first time in mama’s lap. But here, along with being a constant companion and “always happy to see her,” he cements his heroic status in her eyes by hitting a home run for his baseball team and then patiently teaching her how to play T-ball. After carefully coaching her and leading her through warm-up exercises, he even sits in the stands, loudly cheering her on as she scores the winning run in her own very first game. “‘You are the best brother a bunny could ever have!’” she burbles. This tale’s a tad blander compared with others centered on P.J. and his sister, but it’s undeniably cheery, with text well structured for burgeoning readers. The all-smiles animal cast in Bowers’ cartoon art features a large and diversely hued family of bunnies sporting immense floppy ears as well as a multispecies crowd of furry onlookers equally varied of color, with one spectator in a wheelchair.
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note. (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217032464
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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