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SLEEPY HAPPY CAPY CUDDLES

Name: SLEEPY HAPPY CAPY CUDDLES
Author: Mike Allegra
ISBN: 978-1-64567-559-4

by Mike Allegra ; illustrated by Jaimie Whitbread ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 18, 2022

High-fives for a title you’ll want to embrace.

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A noisy rainforest calms down with a capybara’s invitations to cuddle.

The capybara’s curious willingness to serve as chair or pillow for many unrelated species is the factual basis for this playful, nature-themed tale. The opening pages are filled with animal noises; it’s the “rumpus” of the rainforest. But the animals quiet down, perhaps surprised, when the capybara emerges from underwater, burbling bubbles, flicking her ears, and shimmying her “booty bottom.” The furry, oversize rodent invites her neighbors—a turtle, a green iguana, macaws, monkeys, frogs, butterflies—to cuddle with her in whatever manner they’d like. When the crocodile appears, it ROARS—a grand surprise for readers and listeners—and then whispers an admission that it likes cuddles, too. When the capybara is happy, she goes “floof.” This lovely sound is repeated with every encounter. There is a lot of scope for dramatic reading, whether to a child on a lap or to a herd of small humans. The noise of the forest abates with the crocodile’s whisper and then breaks into a final chorus of floofs with the arrival of more capybaras ready to cuddle. The animals in Whitbread’s oil-paint illustrations have wonderfully expressive faces and body language that suit the story’s lighthearted tone. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

High-fives for a title you’ll want to embrace. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022

ISBN: 978-1-64567-559-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Page Street

Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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PIRATE & PENGUIN 2 FEW CREW
by Mike Allegra ; illustrated by Jenn Harney

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PIRATE & PENGUIN
by Mike Allegra ; illustrated by Jenn Harney

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SCAMPERS THINKS LIKE A SCIENTIST
by Mike Allegra ; illustrated by Elizabeth Zechel

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WILL THE PIGEON GRADUATE?

From the Pigeon series

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 4, 2025

An earnest graduation gift: sweet for lifelong fans, cheerfully encouraging for striving, future graduates.

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Success comes at last for the bright-eyed Pigeon.

A clever, tongue-in-cheek ersatz colophon reveals that this graduate has been awarded a “Master of Ornery-thology, Bachelor of Arts of Persuasion with a Minor in Major Freak-outs (summa cum loudly).” Fans will be glad that the Pigeon’s tireless, abundant optimism is finally being ceremoniously recognized. On the cover, the Pigeon wears a mortarboard at a jaunty angle, commenting, “I have the hat!” Of course, dressing the part is essential. But also, “I did the work. I paid attention to the little details. I took some BIG steps.” The Pigeon encountered obstacles (not shown, but many memorable ones will come to mind for the Pigeon's followers). And the Pigeon is plagued by worries familiar to many students who are about to graduate: “WHAT WILL HAPPEN THEN?!? What will I do? Who will I be?” The Pigeon appears in every frame, in close-ups and in poses variously thoughtful, confident, or slightly distressed. Our hero’s simple big eyes and wings are, as ever, remarkably expressive. “Oop!” In one scene, while walking off the dais, diploma in wing, the Pigeon comes to what seems like the edge of a chasm. At last, our hero takes flight with other graduates. Willems' popular characters Gerald and Piggie are there to look on admiringly.

An earnest graduation gift: sweet for lifelong fans, cheerfully encouraging for striving, future graduates. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 4, 2025

ISBN: 9781454960430

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Union Square Kids

Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
IT'S MY BIRD-DAY!
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MONSTER AND PUPPET SHOW!
by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci ; illustrated by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PIGEON WON'T COUNT TO 10!
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

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IT'S MY BIRD-DAY!

From the Pigeon series

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2026

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.

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Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!

Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)