A creative and unique way to explore poetry and emotions with young children.
A children’s book of poems about feelings.
Austin explores emotions through animals in this picture book of poetry for young readers, pairing each feeling with an animal that embodies its essence. Readers meet the Butterfly of Joy as she “lands on the cosmos / flower, for just / a moment / spreading her wings.” The Mosquito of Worry brings “so many fears / I can’t slap away,” while the Goldfish of Boredom “bumps against his bowl / starved for something different.” An Octopus of Curiosity sifts through jewels in a sunken treasure box, “navigating through mazes, remembering solutions, and filling / gaps in knowledge until she knows a lot.” A dog with its tail between its legs is associated with disappointment, while an industrious spider feels satisfaction upon completing her web. Watch out for the Fox of Jealousy, who “stalks and creeps / unbidden / unwanted”; the Wolf of Fear, who “prowls for his prey, / lands in a single leap / in the shadows in your room”; and the Maggot of Disgust that “squirms in its vile pile.” Austin’s poems are short but insightful. Her language is lively and engaging; she describes a trumpet swan that “glides on glassy darkness” and a snail that leaves behind a trail “maybe / of jitters / maybe / of joy.” Some of the animal-emotion pairs are less surprising, like the Turtle of Loneliness, the Bull of Anger, and the Peacock of Pride. Baratta’s illustrations are intricately crafted—her animals look lifelike and soft enough to cuddle. Each painting uses a bold, often primary color scheme in a setting that connects the animal to its corresponding poem. The illustrator also alternates between full-page images and smaller ones that make good use of white space. The poetry text, which perhaps should have been larger in size for easier reading, switches between black and white, depending on the background color.
A creative and unique way to explore poetry and emotions with young children.Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2023
ISBN: 9798987478035
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Susan Schadt Press
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
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