Full of empathy and friendship, this appealing tale invites readers to a yard party.
A dog celebrates friendship with her human family and canine pals in this third installment of a picture-book series.
Lovable Lucy, a small pooch who looks like an English toy spaniel, isn’t sure why her humans are getting out all their pool and water equipment for something they call a “Barkyard Bash.” But she soon realizes they’re having a party, and all the neighbor dogs are coming, too. The large cast of canines and humans can make it hard to keep track of the jam-packed bash, both in the illustrations and the text. But that reflects the chaos of the party. And despite the number of friends present, Lovable Lucy manages to find time to comfort all the pals who need support. Reluctant to stop the fun, Lucy and her humans continue the splashing even after the neighbors have departed. As the family reflects, Lucy decides: “Most of all, I love having all my friends together.” Roth and Penn use accessible vocabulary in Lucy’s voice to tell the enjoyable story but never fall into the conceit that dogs can actually talk to humans. The only people hearing Lucy’s commentary are readers. The pooch’s neighborhood is clearly a loving one, full of a diverse cast—both human and canine—beautifully depicted in Hernandez’s digital illustrations. A deaf character, who signs in the images, is further represented in an American Sign Language glossary for some of the book’s terms.
Full of empathy and friendship, this appealing tale invites readers to a yard party.Pub Date: July 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781737663065
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Wag Your Tale Press
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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