An energetic Christmas countdown for kids who wonder whether they’ve been naughty or nice. (Picture book. 3-7)
Scalawag the cat may be a little too naughty to make Santa’s “nice” list.
In a series of letters to Santa, Scalawag pleads his case that the mischief he’s been getting into isn’t all that bad. Hilarious illustrations tell otherwise. Scalawag writes “I tried every new food in front of me. I always finished my dinner,” while Beckman’s scratchy cartoons depict him getting into doughnuts, chips, and cake. His owner, Miss Violet (who keeps alive the stereotype of the middle-aged, single cat lady), always gets him catnip mice for Christmas, and he’s seen far too many of those, as he points out to Santa; this year he’d like a new “Catman and Robin” video game. His misadventures escalate. Scalawag misuses the neighbor’s sandbox and gets his head stuck in a pitcher of milk (after drinking its contents), precipitating a chain of events that doesn’t end until a toppled tree catches on fire, bringing the paramedics. Miss Violet forgives all, fortunately. Scalawag’s narrative voice is slightly snarky, and Beckman’s lightly drawn, cheerful illustrations capture the expressions of all the characters perfectly. There’s plenty of humor here, from the cat sprawled on a couch on the cover, balefully eyeing a Christmas tree with its shiny, red foil ornaments, to the endpapers covered with dozens of stuffed mice. Miss Violet is white, as is her best friend; Dr. Tim the vet is black.
An energetic Christmas countdown for kids who wonder whether they’ve been naughty or nice. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4413-2421-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Peter Pauper Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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