An emotionally honest and lovingly rendered take on the highs and lows of friendship.
The protagonist of Summer Is for Cousins! (2023) encounters further ups and downs as school starts.
Ravi loves autumn and the fresh beginning it represents. This year, the students will be making paper trees; every time they do something new, they’ll adorn their tree with a leaf. Ravi’s classroom is in an unfamiliar part of the school, and the young protagonist tries out new instruments in music class—all reasons to add leaves. When new girl Ellie offers Ravi and BFF Joe a bite of her beet salad at lunch, it’s another opportunity for a leaf, but Ravi’s not so sure. The well-meaning but overbearing Ellie comes on strong (“I told you we’d be best friends!”), and Ravi’s resistant. It all comes to a head on costume day. Ellie shows up dressed as sprinkles—to complement Ravi’s and Joe’s ice cream and cone getups—and Ravi explodes in anger. But Ravi’s big sister Anita, who knows what it’s like to deal with an initially unwelcome interloper, offers some wise words, and Ravi eventually mends fences with Ellie. LaRocca’s story is well paced and realistic, eschewing drawn-out conversations for actions that speak far louder; this happy ending is well earned. Alwar’s scribbly illustrations brim with chaotic, humorous details that add a perfectly calibrated lightness to the earnest text. Ravi is of South Asian descent, Joe is pale-skinned, and Ellie is brown-skinned.
An emotionally honest and lovingly rendered take on the highs and lows of friendship. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9781419777400
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
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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