Hilarious hijinks at the zoo.
There’s trouble at the zoo!
It begins when Bobo the monkey steals the zookeeper’s flashlight. What a neat toy! “Click. Click!” It goes on and off…until it doesn’t. Fifi the koala is certain that Bobo will be in trouble (as is Bobo). After all, Bobo broke the zookeeper’s flashlight. He can’t fix it (poking it with a screwdriver makes it worse), and no one will help him (not even his fellow simians). Will Fifi tell on him? Not if he trumpets her greatness! (He does.) Will readers tell on him? Bobo asks them. On no! Here comes the zookeeper! The kindly zookeeper, a white man, sees that the flashlight just needs new batteries…and pats Bobo on the head. (Readers attuned to the cultural debate surrounding the association of black people with monkeys may well wince at this sight.) Now it’s Fifi who’s in trouble. (At least according to Bobo.) Told entirely in pictures and dialogue callouts (mostly from Fifi and Bobo), the tale is a stitch. The expressive, exaggerated illustrations, often arrayed several vignettes to a page, might as well be a storyboard for an animated short. Neither characters’ eyebrows seem to be anchored to their faces, often soaring well over their foreheads for extra expressiveness. With the right delivery, this will have listeners rolling on the floor.
Hilarious hijinks at the zoo. (Picture book. 2-8)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-17683-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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
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