When even the characters are tired of the book, it might be a warning sign.
There’s a joke that parents and teachers never get tired of.
Grown-ups think it’s endlessly funny to get simple things wrong, and that’s the one and only joke in this holiday picture book. An elephant and a kangaroo are clueless whether the Passover story they are escaping the zoo to celebrate was about “Ten Planes” or “Ten Plates,” or maybe it was “Ten Plagues,” as a chimp who knows better tells them. They spend the entire book arguing about random elements of the seder meal, which they think might be called a “party.” The long-suffering chimp provides the accurate information with each exchange. Children who aren’t familiar with the Jewish holiday may finish the book more confused than when they started. The animals, however, are beautiful, because they look delightfully unlike real animals. The elephant’s ears are white and purple curlicues shaped like hearts, and the kangaroo is a simple orange curve. The few, fleeting human beings depicted are mostly White and Jewish, although Moses’ skin has a puzzling grayish tone. The arguments about his name may be the most exhausting portion of the story. The animals call him “Morty” and “Milty.” A few pages later, the chimp finally loses all patience and says, “Don’t guess!…I’ll tell you,” and she explains the meaning of Passover foods in some detail. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.6-by-17.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at 59.4% of actual size.)
When even the characters are tired of the book, it might be a warning sign. (endnotes) (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5415-8897-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kar-Ben
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
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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