As celebratory picture books go, this one is strictly for the unicorn obsessed.
Unicorns, prepare yourselves. A pep talk is at hand.
If someone once said to themselves, “You know what would make Oh, the Places You’ll Go better? Unicorns!” the result might resemble this addition to the graduation-book shelf. From the get-go the book tells readers, “You are a unicorn. Oh, yes you are.” As such, readers must embrace their unicorn-ness. They will face mistakes and lose their way, but as long as they fix their errors and remember to ask for help, things will work out. As the book continues, more animals in the art sprout horns, including a tortoise, a hippo, and an owl; one unicorn uses a wheeled prosthetic to replace absent rear legs. A rousing finish urges readers to “always be the unicorn you are.” At times some of this advice sends mixed messages, as when, “Just because you’re a unicorn doesn’t mean you’re perfect,” clashes with the later statement that “A unicorn’s intuition is rarely wrong.” The uncomplicated, shiny commercial art is as bright and cheery as the rest of the book, but occasional poor contrast causes difficulties. One section shaded a deep, dark purple that accompanies the statement, “Keep close with your crew, no matter how motley,” comes off as muddied and very difficult to make out.
As celebratory picture books go, this one is strictly for the unicorn obsessed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-934649-79-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bailiwick Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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