Another first-rate yarn starring an intrepid rodent crew.
A group of daring mice take on a spooky new challenge.
One chilly autumn night, Fledermaus proposes telling fireside ghost stories, even as timid Pedro—the team newcomer—worries about the possibility of nightmares. Nevertheless, Millie recounts the story of the Ghostly Galleon, a pirate ship that sank years ago yet is rumored to still haunt the seas. Fledermaus and Pedro begin sniffing around nearby Bramble Isle, where locals have seen the ship nearly every night. They meet Farmer Wheatley, who warns them to stay away from the bay, lest they encounter the ghosts. The pair offer to help him with his harvest; tasked with bringing back a single blackberry, Pedro and Fledermaus eventually find themselves right by the haunted bay. Of course, they spy the ghostly ship, crewed by white-sheeted figures, and adventure ensues as Pedro and Fledermaus, joined by the rest of their friends, don sheets of their own and attempt to infiltrate the ghostly crew. Readers will be tickled to see Pedro and Fledermaus swapping roles over the course of the narrative: Pedro shakes off his anxiety and rises to the occasion while Fledermaus cowers. A speedy pace, well-differentiated characters, frequent illustrations that complement the text, and an unexpected, satisfying ending that speaks to the power of community will keep interest high and pages turning.
Another first-rate yarn starring an intrepid rodent crew. (Chapter book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 1, 2026
ISBN: 9781684648498
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2026
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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
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