A surprisingly—and satisfyingly—dramatic day in the life of a slug.
A slug gets ready for his close-up in this U.K. import.
Simon sports a pale blue hat and an appealing grin but is otherwise completely accurate. The opening illustration includes labels for various body parts: tentacles, tail, mouth, foot, and pneumostome. Slime helps him slither and stick, but it also turns out to be his secret—and secreted—weapon: It tastes revolting to birds and other predators. While Simon is busy shredding leaves with his “tiny scratchy tongue. Like a cheese grater,” a shrew spots him. “OH NO!” But Simon quickly manufactures “extra gross” slime, and after one lick, the shrew backs off. Soon Simon meets Susan. “Or maybe Steve. It doesn’t really matter. Slugs don’t care.” They take a mysterious midair spin on a slime thread, and “no one is quite sure what just happened” (even scientists, as the backmatter confirms). Then Simon starts to dry out (potentially dangerous for a slug), so he burrows into the mud, where another threat awaits. Has he been eaten by a mole? “Simon’s head is gone. Silence. Simon is dead.” Oh no. “Just kidding!” Turns out a slug’s head can retract! And that’s enough for one day. A final page presents unexpectedly fascinating slug facts, including their habit of pooping from their heads and their hermaphroditic nature. The text is informative but casual, infused with a dash of wit, and the spare, watercolorlike art is both beautiful and droll.
A surprisingly—and satisfyingly—dramatic day in the life of a slug. (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 23, 2026
ISBN: 9798895090695
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Post Wave Children's Books
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on.
Sharpson offers so-fish-ticated readers a heads up about the true terror of the seas.
The title says it all. Our unseen narrator is just fine with other animals: mammals. Reptiles. Even birds. But fish? Don’t trust them! First off, the rules always seem to change with fish. Some live in fresh water; some reside in salt water. Some have gills, while others have lungs. You can never see what they’re up to, since they hang out underwater, and they’re always eating those poor, innocent crabs. Soon, the narrator introduces readers to Jeff, a vacant-eyed yellow fish—but don’t be fooled! Jeff’s “the craftiest fish of all.” All fish are, apparently, hellbent on world domination, the narrator warns. “DON’T TRUST FISH!” Finally, at the tail end, we get a sly glimpse of our unreliable narrator. Readers needn’t be ichthyologists to appreciate Sharpson’s meticulous comic timing. (“Ships always sink at sea. They never sink on land. Isn’t that strange?”) His delightful text, filled to the brim with jokes that read aloud brilliantly, pairs perfectly with Santat’s art, which shifts between extreme realism and goofy hilarity. He also fills the book with his own clever gags (such as an image of Gilligan’s Island’s S.S. Minnow going down and a bottle of sauce labeled “Surly Chik’n Srir’racha’r”).
A ribald and uproarious warning to those unschooled in fishy goings-on. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 8, 2025
ISBN: 9780593616673
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
PERSPECTIVES
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer.
Rotner follows up her celebrations of spring and autumn with this look at all things winter.
Beginning with the signs that winter is coming—bare trees, shorter days, colder temperatures—Rotner eases readers into the season. People light fires and sing songs on the solstice, trees and plants stop growing, and shadows grow long. Ice starts to form on bodies of water and windows. When the snow flies, the fun begins—bundle up and then build forts, make snowballs and snowmen (with eyebrows!), sled, ski (nordic is pictured), skate, snowshoe, snowboard, drink hot chocolate. Animals adapt to the cold as well. “Birds grow more feathers” (there’s nothing about fluffing and air insulation) and mammals, more hair. They have to search for food, and Rotner discusses how many make or find shelter, slow down, hibernate, or go underground or underwater to stay warm. One page talks about celebrating holidays with lights and decorations. The photos show a lit menorah, an outdoor deciduous tree covered in huge Christmas bulbs, a girl next to a Chinese dragon head, a boy with lit luminarias, and some fireworks. The final spread shows signs of the season’s shift to spring. Rotner’s photos, as always, are a big draw. The children are a marvelous mix of cultures and races, and all show their clear delight with winter.
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3976-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
