An entertaining Australian import, especially for cat lovers.
Does Kevin the cat want a cuddle? Probably not—but maybe.
Kevin does not want cuddles…right now. Yes, Kevin may be cute, but this black cat with white snout and paws does not want a tickle or (perish the thought) a cuddle. Kevin wants a bath—self-administered, of course, and without spectators! Maybe if Kevin hides in the laundry or on the bookshelf…no luck. Grumpy Kevin surely does not appreciate being called a “big cuddly fluffball” (that is fluffy winter fur, notfat). Kevin escapes out the window. But back inside, the dog looks like he is enjoying the cuddle he is getting while Kevin is sitting out in the rain. Dang! Maybe Kevin doeswant to be cuddled. Once the dog’s knocked out of the human’s lap, cuddles are nice—for a second, but then it’s too much! Kevin needs space—don’t humans understand a cat’s need for space? Crumble and Gifford deftly capture a kitty’s love/hate relationship with its humans, and their funny take will resonate with human kitty lovers of all ages. Humans who just want to be left alone will also identify with Kevin. The amusing cartoons focus on Kevin’s sour expression, which rarely changes throughout the cat’s futile attempts to avoid affection. Kevin’s human is represented only from the shoulders down; their hands are pale. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An entertaining Australian import, especially for cat lovers. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-74122-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
While the slapstick may appeal to readers, sadly, this book is so confused and arbitrary, most of the humor falls flat.
A beleaguered giraffe tries to communicate that he isn’t a chair.
Poor Giraffe: on his first day in the jungle he’s seen as a chair by the other animals. Of course, giraffes aren’t actually found in jungles, and there’s little evidence of a jungle in the illustrations. While Giraffe does look a little like a chair, the fact that he has eyes and a mouth and nose and other features that distinguish the other animals from their seats makes it hard to understand why he is mistaken for a chair. But it’s all about the gag. Burach uses action-filled spreads to indicate a series of incidents that literally impede Giraffe’s speech, but when he is finally able to speak up for himself, he chooses instead to make a fake chair that looks like him. When that doesn’t work, he’s taken home by a dull-witted human who also uses him for a chair. Upon escaping, he is used as a chair by a lion waiting for dinner. When Giraffe finally decides to speak up and clear up the misunderstanding, he saves his own skin by scaring the lion, who thinks he’s a talking chair. The childlike drawings emphasize googly eyes, silly grins, a multitude of sound effects in emphatic display type, and lots of physical humor.
While the slapstick may appeal to readers, sadly, this book is so confused and arbitrary, most of the humor falls flat. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-236016-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016
Sweet, reassuring fun—and a story to fully embrace.
A slug longs for a hug and finds it unexpectedly.
Doug the slug would really like a hug and plods on, seeking affection. But a caterpillar, bug, spider, and worm want no part of hugging a slug. They are just not feeling it (might they feel sluggish?), voicing their disdain in no uncertain terms with expressions like, “Grimy, slippy!” and “Squelchy, slimy!” What’s a slug to do? Undeterred, Doug keeps trying. He meets Gail, a snail with crimson lipstick and hip, red glasses; she happens to be as grimy and squelchy as he is, so he figures she is the hugger of his dreams. The two embark upon a madcap romantic courtship. Alas, Gail also draws the (slimy) line at hugging Doug. Finally, mournful Doug meets the best hugger and the true love of his life, proving there’s someone for everyone. This charmer will have readers rooting for Doug (and perhaps even wanting to hug him). Expressed in simple, jaunty verses that read and scan smoothly, the brief tale revolves around words that mainly rhyme with Doug and slug. Given that the story stretches vocabulary so well with regard to rhyming words, children can be challenged after a read-aloud session to offer up words that rhyme with slug and snail. The colorful and humorous illustrations are lively and cheerful; googly-eyed Doug is, like the other characters, entertaining and expressive. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sweet, reassuring fun—and a story to fully embrace. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-66590-046-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
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