For all those who are never found without a book at recess.
A bookish child who doesn’t feel that they belong decides to take a risk.
To Nicky, belonging seems so simple in Ms. Gillam’s library at school. How could recess and its rowdy, closed-off groups ever compare to the quiet delight of reshelving books? “Everything has its place in a library. / The books. Ms. Gillam. Me.” Then Ms. Gillam announces she will be away at a conference, and Nicky dreads facing a whole week without her haven. Nicky seeks solace in the routine of their mother’s cafe and in their favorite customer, Maggie, who rides a motorcycle and loans Nicky books. But when Maggie comes to the restaurant one day with a whole fleet of motorcyclists—all of them different, all of them together—Nicky is floored by the realization that being different doesn’t have to mean being alone. The poetic text refreshingly resists “correcting” its misfit protagonist and opts instead to validate them. Nicky doesn’t have to shed their introversion or put aside books to make friends but instead invites a peer to dive into books with them. Pinkney Barlow’s illustrations offer a rich, journalesque storytelling counterpart, as the collage and ink-pen styles expertly contrast Nicky’s introspection with the world around them, gifting readers with an almost fantastical visual and emotional landscape. Almost the entire cast is Black and brown, though Barlow opts for unfilled line drawings rather than painted skin tones. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
For all those who are never found without a book at recess. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 19, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-37882-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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