A bright, beautiful work that serves as a gentle introduction to diversity and schoolyard dynamics.
Two young crabs compete to hold the best underwater party in this picture book.
While land dwellers celebrate Mardi Gras, underwater creatures have an equivalent festivity they call Mardi Claw. At Crab school, Clown Crab (who’s orange with white splotches) leaves party invitations for everyone except Blue Crab (who’s green-blue with red claws). Blue retaliates by throwing her own Mardi Claw party. Each host unveils bigger and better attractions: a music-playing jellyfish at Blue’s gathering, a juggling octopus at Clown’s, seahorse rides at Blue’s, two tap-dancing turtles at Clown’s. The guests scuttle from one to the other and back again until they collide and form a happy conga line (“It was the most festive Mardi Claw the coral reef could remember”). Blue and Clown make up and resolve to host next year’s Mardi Claw party together. Snyder narrates by way of straightforward, non-rhyming text, presented in a large, bold font. The crabs’ rivalry forms a simple but effective analogy of child behavior, sweetly complemented by Crisante’s digital illustrations, which are colorful and dynamic, capturing both the protagonists’ personalities and the wild diversity of ocean life. A three-page addendum details the crabs’ scientific names, habitat ranges, and a few key facts about each, including that blue crabs are named for the color of their claws—which observant readers may find confusing, given that Blue appears directly below, pointing out this tidbit with one of her distinctly red claws.
A bright, beautiful work that serves as a gentle introduction to diversity and schoolyard dynamics.Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781735619972
Page Count: 28
Publisher: PenDragon Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 13, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
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