By turns funny, poignant, and affirming.
Sometimes, (day)dreams do come true.
In the latest in the series, the hedgehog who lives in the park where light-skinned Percy works is asleep, dreaming about the joy of flying. But he’s rudely interrupted by a shower of buckeye chestnuts, and he rolls himself into a protective ball. In a laugh-out-loud scene, the hedgehog uncurls to see a strange bird named Carla “tangled up in what looked like a clothesline and…going up and down like a yo-yo.” At Carla's request, the hedgehog doesn’t tell Percy what’s going on and does his best to help. First, the hedgehog trots off in search of food for Carla and returns, after a bit of a tumble, with his spines stuck in one of Percy’s sandwiches, a giggleworthy image. The chatty Carla explains how she ended up like this: Spotting some food near the clothesline, she swooped, but the clothes “went flappy-flap,” she hit her head, and then she got tangled. Carla hurt her head, so the hedgehog races off to Percy’s to get Band-Aids and creates quite a mess in the process. Luckily, Percy arrives to untangle Carla. During the few days Carla spends recovering, everyone works out a plan to help the hedgehog’s dream of flying come true. The smile on the hedgehog’s face is priceless, as are the warm, cozy illustrations in this tender tale of friendship and community. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
By turns funny, poignant, and affirming. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-00-848435-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
Echoes of Runaway Bunny color this exchange between a bath-averse piglet and his patient mother. Using a strategy that would probably be a nonstarter in real life, the mother deflects her stubborn offspring’s string of bath-free occupational conceits with appeals to reason: “Pirates NEVER EVER take baths!” “Pirates don’t get seasick either. But you do.” “Yeesh. I’m an astronaut, okay?” “Well, it is hard to bathe in zero gravity. It’s hard to poop and pee in zero gravity too!” And so on, until Mom’s enticing promise of treasure in the deep sea persuades her little Treasure Hunter to take a dive. Chunky figures surrounded by lots of bright white space in Segal’s minimally detailed watercolors keep the visuals as simple as the plotline. The language isn’t quite as basic, though, and as it rendered entirely in dialogue—Mother Pig’s lines are italicized—adult readers will have to work hard at their vocal characterizations for it to make any sense. Moreover, younger audiences (any audiences, come to that) may wonder what the piggy’s watery closing “EUREKA!!!” is all about too. Not particularly persuasive, but this might coax a few young porkers to get their trotters into the tub. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25425-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Gives new meaning to the notion that every dog—or pup—has its day.
A young girl learns that plans that go awry need not spoil the day.
Ollie has ambitious intentions for dog sitting Milo, her grandmother’s puppy, but those plans are spoiled when he chews up her drawing, a gift intended for Grandma when she returns from visiting friends. The girl scolds the little dog and then takes some time to herself, leaving him behind and walking farther and farther away from home in order to cool off. But as the illustrations show, Milo is never far behind, surreptitiously trailing her all the way through the woods. Ollie reflects on the part she played in the drawing’s destruction, since she knew better than to leave it unguarded on the floor, and she regrets getting mad at the dog. When she finally stops and wishes for company, the loyal pup is right nearby. They spend their day frolicking in the woods, playing fetch, splashing in mud puddles, and hunting for treasure as pirates. When they return home, she still has time to draw another picture or two. Accessible text with relatable, appealing characters helps the message of adaptability go down smoothly. The charming artwork features various shades of gray as well as pink and red spot color, often in heart shapes. Ollie, who has skin the white of the page, wears a dog costume throughout the story. Her experience demonstrates that things can work out just fine, even when they weren’t what you had in mind.
Gives new meaning to the notion that every dog—or pup—has its day. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781665965903
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
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