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MR CRUMP, THE HEARTLESS GRUMP

Name: MR CRUMP, THE HEARTLESS GRUMP
Author: Pog
ISBN: 9781782509523

by Pog ; illustrated by Stéphanie Léon ; translated by Katy Lockwood-Holmes ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2026

An elaborately and entrancingly illustrated redemption story.

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A curmudgeon slowly softens in this French import.

Mr. Crump, who has thick tufts of white-gray eyebrows and a mustache, is rude and even downright nasty. He pushes to the front of lines, never says thank you, and believes that children “get too many treats.” His dislike of animals extends to feeding park pigeons hot sauce–laced crumbs. And if he wants some cauliflower from the garden next door? He simply takes it. What a shock, then, to learn that each night, Mr. Crump reads tenderly to his collection of teddy bears. A single page of backstory reveals that neglect and unhappiness characterized his childhood, its sadness reflected in the monochrome palette of that spread. When unwary local kids discover him on Halloween cuddling his favorite bear, he’s dismayed—will they laugh at him? But the kindly youngsters each pick a bear instead of a treat, bonding happily with them and embracing Crump before departing. He still has his original, beloved bear, a thank-you note from the kids, and the oddly enjoyable sensation of having received his first hug. Over time, he becomes more social, until he is “soft and cuddly, just like his bears.” Léon’s stylishly baroque illustrations depict detailed old-world backgrounds, washed in antique gold and occasionally muted blue-gray. Lockwood-Holmes’ translation is graceful; together the creators make clear that even a grouch can melt with proper care. Like Mr. Crump, most characters are pale-skinned.

An elaborately and entrancingly illustrated redemption story. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026

ISBN: 9781782509523

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Floris

Review Posted Online: April 20, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

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FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)