An understated ode to an iconic Japanese cultural celebration, mindfulness, and the restorative power of the seasons.
“Hustle, bustle; hurry, dash.”
Day after day, five strangers rush to catch the train, their eyes fixed straight ahead. They ignore each other, their surroundings, and the winter chill, focusing only on their destinations, their cellphone screens, and the day’s impending challenges. Slowly, winter turns to spring. The bare Sakura trees lining the pavement begin to sprout leaves and flowers, and little by little, their branches fill with birds and the air with bird song. Yet the five busy travelers don’t stop to take in the glorious spectacle. One morning, a young girl stops to pick up a fallen blossom and realizes something is different—preparations for the annual Sakura (cherry blossom) Festival have begun. After the festival decorations go up, usually preoccupied pedestrians slow down to marvel at the beauty of the cherry blossoms, take photos, and picnic under the blooming canopies. Eventually, it is nature and not human beings that puts an abrupt end to the festival, and though almost everyone returns to their frenetic routines, at least one character remains attuned to the rejuvenating power of the Sakura trees. The simple text and gentle visual imagery illuminate the magic to be found in the natural world and in small moments. The soft pastel artwork highlights nature’s subtle transformations, and Togo skillfully achieves an accumulation of significance by repeating the same scenes, with slight variations, across spreads.
An understated ode to an iconic Japanese cultural celebration, mindfulness, and the restorative power of the seasons. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-648-95331-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Berbay Publishing
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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