Young children will easily relate to Elliot’s experience of loneliness and his relief at inclusion, both convincingly...
The pachyderm who searched for friendship in Little Elliot, Big City (2014) returns to seek a family in this follow-up.
Elliot’s buddy, Mouse, is departing for a family reunion. With a huge clan—the cousins alone total 147—the group size in Mouse’s photograph contrasts with the two figures (Elliot and Mouse) in Elliot’s frame. Curato’s palette and style are reminiscent of Edward Hopper. The lone elephant appears in an open window, the sole figure in a double-page spread depicting rows of closed, opaque panes in a brown facade near a barren tree: “The house was quiet. And empty.” Subdued greens and reds predominate, and while some of the figures in the multiethnic neighborhood scenes are in groups, others are hidden behind newspapers or shadows, adding to the sense of isolation. Employing a restrained text, Curato mines the visuals for emotional impact, as when he portrays Elliot among a sea of empty chairs inside the cinema, tearfully watching a family film. The black-and-white movie connects to reality when the protagonist exits into a nocturnal snowfall. All is well when Mouse, having missed Elliot, invites him back to the candlelit attic feast. Playful endpapers mimic fine art and family portraits, with one very large addition.
Young children will easily relate to Elliot’s experience of loneliness and his relief at inclusion, both convincingly captured in this elegant tale. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9826-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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