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PATCH OF SKY

Name: PATCH OF SKY
Author: Nic Yulo
ISBN: 978-0-593-35384-4

by Nic Yulo ; illustrated by Nic Yulo ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2022

Notable for bringing easy STEM concepts to interesting, inventive life for very young readers.

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“Looking up” takes on a whole new meaning.

Pia, a yellow-skinned, blue-haired girl, has a best friend—Patches, a pig from whom she’s inseparable. Apart from Patches, Pia’s favorite thing is the sky. Unfortunately, her father explains that the anatomy of pigs’ necks is such that pigs can’t look up. Pia is desolate because, she tells Patches, the sky isn’t only wonderful, it also reflects emotions, and she’s determined that her bestie should see it. She devises several ingenious stratagems to solve the dilemma, including rolling Patches onto his back and pushing him up a hill; sadly, each attempt ends in disappointment. However, Pia’s chance glimpse at a clear rain puddle gives her one final idea—and voila! By peering down into the puddle, Patches finally beholds the sky. This endearing, lighthearted tale rests on an easy science concept, though some kids might not get it, even as depicted; adult explanations may be needed. The tale makes a fine springboard for imaginative thinking and art activities focused on helping pigs look upward. The colorful, lively, expressive illustrations, set mostly in square or rectangular panels, are appealing; readers will also appreciate the text, often set in colored type and including onomatopoeic sound words used to very dynamic effect. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Notable for bringing easy STEM concepts to interesting, inventive life for very young readers. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: July 12, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-35384-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
OUT OF THE BLUE
by Nic Yulo ; illustrated by Nic Yulo

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

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In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.

Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 25, 2025

ISBN: 9780063387843

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)