A treat for fans of the Little Elliot series.
Little Elliot, the white, polka-dot elephant, visits Santa at a New York department store with his friend Mouse.
He is looking for the Christmas spirit, but Santa tells him he’ll have to find that himself. Elliot and Mouse search at the ballet, Rockefeller Center, and while sledding—having fun but not finding the Christmas spirit. The story of the two friends is prefaced by wordless illustrations on the front endpapers and title page in which a little girl, bundled against the cold, tries to post a letter only to have it ripped out of her hands by the wind. The two stories come together when the red envelope addressed to Santa lands on Elliot’s forehead. He and Mouse read the letter, grab a cab, and arrive at a house with a red door, where Noelle, the girl who wrote the letter, invites them in, thus fulfilling both her and Elliot’s Christmas wishes. Not-a-word-out-of-place storytelling is enhanced by soft-focus illustrations done in pencil and colored digitally, which perfectly capture the characters’ expressions. The city setting seems to be post–World War II, with an old-fashioned look that could easily appeal to grandparents looking for a heartwarming holiday book to share. Young children will have fun trying to spot little Mouse throughout. Curato populates the pages with an eye to diversity, including people of color and a child who uses a wheelchair; Noelle appears to be Asian.
A treat for fans of the Little Elliot series. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-18589-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends.
Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both!
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!” The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) highlight the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2008, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank.
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85213-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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