An endearing lesson in information literacy.
Don’t let gossips get the drop on you!
In a dark forest, an unseen narrator draws readers’ attention to an old gum tree that looms creepily among the clouds. A sign below echoes the narrator’s warning: “Beware! Dropbear!” And just what is a dropbear? “They say…Dropbear is mean. Dropbear is rude. Dropbear smells like stinky old food. It lingers up high…then drops from its tree. Its favorite dish? That’s you…and me!” But who is that unspecified “they”? A “little birdie” with a healthy sense of skepticism is eager to get to the bottom of things and discovers that the dropbear is just a koala in need of a good hug; those rumors were the result of ignorance and fear of the unknown, as well as a way to battle boredom. Bunting slyly infuses his text with both clever wordplay and a message about not believing gossip; educators and caregivers will find the tale a useful tool for dispelling misconceptions. The author/illustrator’s signature mixed-media images are adorable, depicting solemn, saucer-eyed Australian creatures. With teeny-tiny fangs, the dropbear cuts a cute figure from the outset, lightening the ominous mood set by the swirling clouds and shadowy night. Bunting concludes with an author’s note about the dropbear, a mythical Australian creature said to tumble out of trees onto unsuspecting passersby.
An endearing lesson in information literacy. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 9, 2025
ISBN: 9781623547264
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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