This gentle bedtime story is rich in Ugandan culture and universal nostalgia as it celebrates a boy’s great love for his...
A young boy and his jjajja share memories and wishes in this tender tale set in Uganda.
Have you ever wished to “ride a supernova straight to Mars” or travel to the spice markets of Zanzibar or ride a crane to a large feast? This young Ugandan protagonist awakes from these very dreams to dark clouds and rain. The boy and his grandfather spend the day doing such chores as packing peas, clearing wet bamboo leaves from the veranda, and cleaning the tilapia for a fish stew. With every task, Jjajja shares stories: about a childhood friend and fishing trips with his father. And after dinner, Jjajja shares his love of books filled with beloved tales of African kingdoms. Unfolding in rhyme, Isdahl’s tale amply demonstrates how sharing stories can make even a rainy day full of chores an adventure. Van Doorn’s illustrations capture the story in muted grays, browns, and blues. The stylized typeface gives a touch of texture, and the characters look almost like stick figures with their round heads and thin limbs. Details include a small white dog who joins in each activity with understated whimsy.
This gentle bedtime story is rich in Ugandan culture and universal nostalgia as it celebrates a boy’s great love for his grandfather. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-911373-39-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lantana
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
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 nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers.
Two little rats decide to show the world how tough they are, with unpredictable results.
Louie and Ralphie Ratso want to be just like their single dad, Big Lou: tough! They know that “tough” means doing mean things to other animals, like stealing Chad Badgerton’s hat. Chad Badgerton is a big badger, so taking that hat from him proves that Louie and Ralphie are just as tough as they want to be. However, it turns out that Louie and Ralphie have just done a good deed instead of a bad one: Chad Badgerton had taken that hat from little Tiny Crawley, a mouse, so when Tiny reclaims it, they are celebrated for goodness rather than toughness. Sadly, every attempt Louie and Ralphie make at doing mean things somehow turns nice. What’s a little boy rat supposed to do to be tough? Plus, they worry about what their dad will say when he finds out how good they’ve been. But wait! Maybe their dad has some other ideas? LaReau keeps the action high and completely appropriate for readers embarking on chapter books. Each of the first six chapters features a new, failed attempt by Louie and Ralphie to be mean, and the final, seventh chapter resolves everything nicely. The humor springs from their foiled efforts and their reactions to their failures. Myers’ sprightly grayscale drawings capture action and characters and add humorous details, such as the Ratsos’ “unwelcome” mat.
A nicely inventive little morality “tail” for newly independent readers. (Fiction. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7636-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
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