For kids who love hugs and aren’t afraid to share them.
Daddy Bear and his son spend the day seeking out and hugging forest denizens.
Their breakfast of honey having given them a “warm, sweet feeling inside,” the two set off to find Mr. Beaver to give him a squeeze. Though the recipient is at first frightened, he acquiesces to a hug and is pleased to find that “it felt strange but nice.” Litte Bear wants to give out more hugs (troublingly, Daddy Bear states that “Hugging always makes you feel good”), so the two spend the rest of their day passing out hugs to at-first-reluctant forest animals (Dziubak’s bears show no teeth, but they are big and do have fearsome claws). And at the end of the day, Little Bear points out what observant readers will have seen all along: they’ve forgotten someone very important. Readers used to such fare as Who Invited You, by Candace Fleming and illustrated by George Booth (2001), and Oliver and His Alligator, by Paul Schmid (2013), will be waiting for the other shoe to drop, especially when Ms. Anaconda says it would be her pleasure to get a hug from the bears. But it never comes—this is simply a sweet tale about making others feel good by giving them hugs. The seemingly digital illustrations raise and lower tension with each page turn; though the animals’ faces are not consistently expressive, Dziubak packs plenty of humor in by playing with composition and relative size.
For kids who love hugs and aren’t afraid to share them. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68297-142-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: words & pictures
Review Posted Online: March 19, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.
Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!
Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9781454999621
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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