A fine work with a caring message and appealing illustrations.
Hayes’ picture book shows readers that it’s okay to have unique sensory needs.
Under no circumstances does Quincy like getting his feet wet. This is unusual for little ducks like him, and swans and geese that live at Dragonfly Pond cruelly mock him, asking if he’ll ever swim and why he cries. However, he also has a few friends that encourage him to come swimming with them. Quincy can’t express exactly what he hates about the feeling of wet feet. He tries to wear bright purple flip flops into the water, but they float away; next, Quincy tries wearing a snorkel mask and flippers, but pond water leaks through the holes. He again tries to join his friends for an aquatic adventure by wearing galoshes, but they’re not tall enough to keep water off his feet. Finally, Quincy decides to wear waders, which keep his feet nice and dry, and his friends surprise him by wearing waders of their own. Other ducks jump into the pond with Quincy, celebrating the fact that he feels comfortable enough to swim around the pond. When swans and geese appear to make fun of Quincy again, his friends help him ignore them and celebrate that Quincy persevered to find a solution to his sensory needs: The entire story is appealingly written in rhyming couplets with first-person narration from Quincy himself: “It took a few tries / To make this work,” he tells his friends. “Thank you for seeing / Beyond my quirk.” Dutton’s full-color cartoon illustrations are absolutely charming, and the textured background shading is a lovely touch. The story subtly integrates a clear message about accepting people who have specific sensory needs, and it’s one that young readers will easily understand, whether or not they have sensitivities of their own. Quincy also effectively models determination throughout with a daily mindful mantra: “Today’s a new day. / My friends are here.”
A fine work with a caring message and appealing illustrations.Pub Date: Jan. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9781737754923
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.
After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780063436121
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
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