A simple story with sweet illustrations that make this an easy entry for very young readers.
Muddle the duck is confused as to why friend Mo looks so strange—before finally realizing that Mo is a goat, not a duck.
The illustrations are really what make the book work, and Robinson's softly penciled and highly stylized goats and duck placed on textured blue backgrounds are adorable, with beautifully conveyed personalities. Muddle's expressions are manic and high-energy, while placid Mo's expressions are serene and calm, patiently awaiting the conclusion of Muddle's critique of what a strange duck Mo is. In fact, Mo doesn't even correct the duck—it's only when Muddle hears Mo bleat, and then hears Mo's fellow goats bleat back, that Muddle realizes that Mo is a goat. Muddle is a little cruel about assessing Mo’s inadequacy (Mo’s wings are in the wrong place, Mo’s tail looks weird, and Mo can’t even quack), in a similar vein as such tales as “The Ugly Duckling,” but there's no retributive ending here. Muddle anxiously asks, “Am I a goat?” “You are one hundred percent duck,” says Mo comfortably, and they cuddle up and have a laugh. There's plenty of room here for guardians to encourage kids to reframe weird into just different when observing others.
A simple story with sweet illustrations that make this an easy entry for very young readers. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Feb. 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-544-71612-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Younger siblings of the Mercy chapter-book lovers will find their way into the series with this first look, written just for...
To paraphrase an immortal spider, Mercy is some pig.
Mercy Watson, a “small and not at all ordinary” pig, is already the star of six early chapter books, well-known for her love of buttered toast and, of course, of Mr. and Mrs. Watson, the white couple who care for her. But how did Mercy come to live with the Watsons? And how did they discover her love for buttered toast? Written simply for the pre–chapter-book audience, with big, bright, often full-spread illustrations, this picture book offers an introduction to Mercy, “the porcine wonder,” with all the dramatic expressions and gentle humor of the chapter books and some irresistible pig cuteness sprinkled in for extra charm. Vivid colors cause each illustration to pop, with a retro style to the Watsons’ rosy cheeks, classic car, and rather traditional gender roles (Mrs. Watson vacuums, Mr. Watson polishes the car). An unnamed interracial family seen through a window references two characters introduced as school-age children in the fourth installment of the chapter-book series: Frank and Stella, he as a toddler and she as a baby. Since the target audience for this outing will have no familiarity with them, their presence mostly serves to underscore the otherwise all-white human cast.
Younger siblings of the Mercy chapter-book lovers will find their way into the series with this first look, written just for them . (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7753-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019
A title comics aficionados will snap up in order to groom the next generation of fandom—even if they don’t have a next...
It’s time for bed, Baby Groot—but Rocket Raccoon thinks otherwise!
Gamora reads a bedtime story to baby Groot in his flowerpot: “Night night, Groot, it’s time for bed. / Time to rest your sleepy head. // The day was long and filled with fun. / Think of all the things you’ve done.” Rocket grabs Groot’s hand and tells him the Earth is in danger. They run past Captain America and the other Avengers to their spaceship and blast off while the bedtime story continues. In action-filled spreads, they attack bad guys with the help of Red Hulk and She Hulk. More bad guys get kicked and beaten when Thor and Black Panther help out. Doctor Strange, Moon Knight, and the Guardians of the Galaxy team join the fight, and the night is won! “The day is now done and super friends say… / Night night, Groot. / You’ve had a wonderful day.” Deneen’s narrative has a consciously genre-appropriate anodyne text, but Rocket’s asides in speech bubbles and Groot’s “I am Groot”s will elicit more giggles and cheers than sleep—not to mention the energetic sound effects. Peopled with the stars of the Marvel universe, each brightly colored double-page spread of bad-guy bopping has at least one cameo or visual joke. All the superheroes and even the villains are just as supercute as baby Groot.
A title comics aficionados will snap up in order to groom the next generation of fandom—even if they don’t have a next generation yet. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4847-3282-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Marvel Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 31, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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