The message is clear: Just be yourself, and friends will come
A little girl who is new to school uses a cardboard box to make friends.
As soon as she is noticed on the first day, Jessica lifts her teddy bear out of her box—but the children either laugh or walk away. On the second day, she fills her box with cupcakes, but as soon as the other children snatch them up, they leave without even a “thank you.” Her dog, Doris, goes to school in the box on the third day; she is an instant hit—but the groundskeeper takes Doris back home: “Can’t bring dogs to school.” On the fourth day she brings her box, empty, then puts it over her head. “She just wanted to disappear.” But a little boy spots her and begins a game of hide-and-seek: She’s made a friend at last. Carnavas tells his story with a minimum of words, counting on his spacious cartoons to fill in the gaps. Most notable among these is Jessica’s use of a wheelchair, a fact that is never concealed but that is nevertheless de-emphasized in favor of Jessica’s emotions. It’s not quite clear how old Jessica is, and readers may feel that her bringing a teddy bear to school is as silly as her classmates do, but that won’t stop them from empathizing with the lonely little girl. Carnavas’ Bob Graham–esque cartoons use color and humor in equal measure to create a winning protagonist.
The message is clear: Just be yourself, and friends will come . (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-61067-347-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2015
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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