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THIS BOOK JUST STOLE MY CAT!

Name: THIS BOOK JUST STOLE MY CAT!
Author: Richard Byrne
ISBN: 978-1-250-20667-1

by Richard Byrne ; illustrated by Richard Byrne ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 24, 2019

A metafictive miss.

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Can Ben get his cat back?

While playing “tickle and chase across the page” with Ben, the boy’s rather large gray tabby cat vanishes into the gutter between pages even though Ben has presumably just run across it without incident. The string of the cat toy Ben was holding appears stuck in the break between pages. Bella happens along with her hula hoop and, claiming to have seen this before, goes in to investigate. A search-and-rescue truck that specializes in cats goes in next…then a rescue dog and a helicopter. At this point Ben decides he’ll have to do the job himself—and the book sneezes out the “book-tickling fluffy mouse” even as he disappears. Ben sends out instructions for readers to tickle the book and then turn the page, and the book eventually sneezes almost everyone out—but Ben’s cat it is now held aloft by its rapidly spinning tail. Clearly it’s the book’s fault. This outing is an unnecessary feline companion to This Book Just Ate My Dog (2015). Not only is it unclear why Ben can cross the gutter and others can’t, but it’s also hazy as to why the book sneezes the mouse toy out when it’s had it inside for several pages. Far better interactives are available. Ben and Bella are both white.

A metafictive miss. (Picture book. 2-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-250-20667-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Godwin Books

Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE CASE OF THE MISSING CHALK DRAWINGS
by Richard Byrne ; illustrated by Richard Byrne

- BOOK REVIEW
I WANT TO GO FIRST!
by Richard Byrne ; illustrated by Richard Byrne

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT GEORGE FORGOT
by Kathy Wolff ; illustrated by Richard Byrne

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.

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A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.

Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)