A creative and enjoyable interpretation of a timely issue.
Animal pals participate in activities and jobs that require masks in this picture book.
Billick’s story follows a pig, an elephant, and a mouse wearing masks in various situations. The author explains that in addition to being worn for fun, costume purposes, or practical reasons (to help people sleep), masks are used in all sorts of professions. The author discusses types of masks that are worn for particular jobs and why they are necessary. For example, “Chemists wear masks to protect their eyes, just in case their experiments go awry.” Other mask wearers mentioned here include baseball catchers, scuba divers, doctors, superheroes, and more. Finally, the book touches on the importance of donning masks (although not explicitly mentioned in the story, they help reduce the spread of Covid-19). The tale implores readers to wear their own masks, clearly explaining how they “help keep everyone healthy. It is something simple that we can do, to help protect me and help protect you.” In this engaging and inventive story, the significance of mask wearing is portrayed in a way that will be relatable to young readers. Billick’s illustrations are hand-drawn and have a simple quality. They mostly show the friendly-looking animals in a wide range of mask-wearing scenarios. For example, when the tale notes, “Some masks cover your entire head,” the elephant is depicted wearing an astronaut suit and helmet in space.
A creative and enjoyable interpretation of a timely issue.Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73569-150-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
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
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