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THE MISSING LETTERS

Name: THE MISSING LETTERS
Author: Renee Londner
ISBN: 978-1-4677-8933-2

A DREIDEL STORY

by Renee Londner ; illustrated by Iryna Bodnaruk ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2017

A nice addition to Hanukkah collections.

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Tomfoolery before Hanukkah imperils a favorite game.

Just before Hanukkah, the dreidels sit ready for their four Hebrew letters: Nun, Hey, Shin, and Gimel. Alas, the first three are discontents, and here is the reason. Picture a collection of tasty nuts on the table. If you spin the dreidel and it lands on Nun, then “nothing happens.” If it lands on Shin, then a player must “add to the pot.” If it lands on Hey, then “the player only gets to take half the winnings from the pot.” But if it lands on Gimel, a player gets everything. The unhappy letters band together and hide the Gimels. In the morning, the white, human dreidel makers cannot finish their important work, and the master carver explains to his apprentice how the game originated when the Maccabees lived under Roman occupation. Fortunately the unhappy letters have second thoughts and all is well—just in time for a white family to celebrate the holiday. The story is a pleasant addition to the holiday canon. Bodnaruk’s digital illustrations busily fill the pages. Her Hebrew letters have spiky hairdos and googly eyes that look rather like eyeglasses, while her master carver sports a grand moustache and his apprentice wears headphones.

A nice addition to Hanukkah collections. (author’s note) (Picture book/religion. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4677-8933-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Kar-Ben

Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
STONES FOR GRANDPA
by Renee Londner ; illustrated by Martha Avilés

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IT'S MY BIRD-DAY!

From the Pigeon series

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2026

Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MONSTER AND PUPPET SHOW!
by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci ; illustrated by Mo Willems & Kate Micucci

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PIGEON WON'T COUNT TO 10!
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

- BOOK REVIEW
WILL THE PIGEON GRADUATE?
by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems

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CHICKA CHICKA PEEP PEEP

From the Chicka Chicka Book series

by Julien Chung ; illustrated by Julien Chung ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20, 2026

A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale.

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The classic picture book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets a makeover for Easter as the letters of the alphabet locate and decorate eggs.

The mission is simple: “Chicka chicka peek peek. / Everybody seek seek! / Find all the eggs / in the pretty pink tree.” The letters are making their way up the flowering tree in search of the hidden eggs when a “SNEEZE!” scatters everyone and the eggs fall and crack. Luckily, a bunny hops by with a haul of new ones, which the letters then paint and bedazzle, eventually sharing the newly decorated eggs with a group of bunnies. This picture book is a successfully Easter-fied version of the original: The letters go up; the letters fall down. Truly, though, that’s all the preschool crowd needs. Chung’s illustrations are simple and familiar, a direct echo of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. The letters appear in colorful, bold, block form. The book has few added details, just focal images like the tree and its pink flowers, the colorful eggs, tufts of grass, and some friendly rabbits. The alphabet appears in order (both upper- and lowercase letters) at the book’s open and close. The rhyming text follows the iconic cadence of the source material, making for a worthy read-aloud that will keep little hands turning pages.

A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale. (Picture book. 3-5)