A fantastic entry into the kid-and-monster-friendship subgenre.
A child encounters a creature from Filipino folklore and makes a surprising new discovery in author/illustrator Valdez’s picture-book debut.
Bunso (whose name is a Tagalog word for a family’s youngest sibling) is scared of the stories that his sister, or Ate, tells him about a creature called the Mumu, who “likes to punish kids who misbehave by sucking the fun outta everything!” Mom, Dad, and Bunso’s Kuya (brother) scold him for drawing on the walls, not eating dinner, and playing Kuya’s video games without permission; all say that the Mumu will get him. Bunso decides to try to defeat the Mumu; he does research and prepares equipment to confront it. But when Bunso traps the Mumu, it turns out to be an adorable ghost who wants a friend and another shot at enjoying life. Valdez draws on Filipino folklore he learned from his own family to create a fun, mischievous tale for young readers. He works Tagalog terms into the text seamlessly, and Bunso’s narration reads in an authentically childlike voice. Valdez’s comic-style drawings are reminiscent of Cartoon Network programs but also have the sensibility of Bill Watterson’s "Calvin and Hobbes," particularly in its depiction of the instant friendship between Bunso and misunderstood Mumu. Children struggling with fears of monsters under the bed may be comforted by Mumu’s adorableness.
A fantastic entry into the kid-and-monster-friendship subgenre.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-0-9997050-4-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Jesse Byrd Jr
Review Posted Online: Nov. 24, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated.
Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s classic alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets the Halloween treatment.
Chung follows the original formula to the letter. In alphabetical order, each letter climbs to the top of a tree. They are knocked back to the ground in a jumble before climbing up in sequence again. In homage to the spooky holiday theme, they scale a “creaky old tree,” and a ghostly jump scare causes the pileup. The chunky, colorful art is instantly recognizable. The charmingly costumed letters (“H swings a tail. / I wears a patch. J and K don / bows that don’t match”) are set against a dark backdrop, framed by pages with orange or purple borders. The spreads feature spiderwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. The familiar rhyme cadence is marred by the occasional clunky or awkward phrase; in particular, the adapted refrain of “Chicka chicka tricka treat” offers tongue-twisting fun, but it’s repeatedly followed by the disappointing half-rhyme “Everybody sneaka sneak.” Even this odd construction feels shoehorned into place, since “sneaking” makes little sense when every character in the book is climbing together. The final line of the book ends on a more satisfying note, with “Everybody—time to eat!”
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781665954785
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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