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APE WITH A CAPE

Name: APE WITH A CAPE
Author: Richard Turner
ISBN: 978-1-76036-134-1

by Richard Turner ; illustrated by Deborah Sheehy ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 2020

Giggleworthy for some—but not universal.

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A stylish ape sets up a hair salon on the main street in Jungle Town.

Ape wears a pinstripe suit, shiny boots, and “hair not seen in the jungle before, / an upward swept pompadour!” He opens a salon called Ape with a Cape, guaranteeing “a snappy new look,” and word spreads fast through the trees. He tames a lion’s mane into a “businessman.” He gives Miss Brown Bear a beehive. From a fox’s buzz cut to a sheep’s flattop, a penguin’s “bold afro” to a skunk’s “punk mohawk,” Ape can do it all—except a perm. For that, Poodle must go across the street, to Polar’s Rollers. The rhyming text has a rhythm that is easy to get into, and some readers will enjoy learning the names of different hairstyles and imagining animals experimenting with them. The final spread, showing an elephant, a turtle, birds, and more animals with assorted curls, is visually humorous, though the text ends rather anticlimactically. Readers may have mixed feelings about culturally specific hairstyles being used for laughs, and the lion’s transformation from wild mane to a straight-haired coif may disappoint and dismay those who have been made to feel that the natural state of their hair is somehow unprofessional or inappropriate.

Giggleworthy for some—but not universal. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-76036-134-1

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Starfish Bay

Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2020

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S HEALTH & DAILY LIVING

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THE CROCODILE BIRD
by Richard Turner ; illustrated by Margaret Tolland

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WHOSE NOSE DO YOU SUPPOSE?
by Richard Turner ; illustrated by Margaret Tolland

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THE WILDLIFE WINTER GAMES
by Richard Turner ; illustrated by Ben Clifford

DR. SEUSS'S HOW THE GRINCH LOST CHRISTMAS!

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DR. SEUSS'S HOW THE GRINCH LOST CHRISTMAS!

by Alastair Heim ; illustrated by Aristides Ruiz ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2023

It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property.

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Since a reformed Grinch is hardly any fun, this follow-up Grinches him up once more.

Those seeking more of the same, prepare to receive precisely that. Christmas is coming (again!), and the Grinch can hardly wait. He’s been patient all year, and now he can finally show the Whos down in Who-ville how much he’s changed. When the Grinch learns of a tree-decorating contest, he figures that if he wins, it’ll prove he truly has the Christmas spirit. He throws himself into the task, but when it comes time to judge the trees, the Grinch is horrified to discover that he’s received only the second-place trophy. Can Cindy-Lou Who find the words to save the day? Replicating many of the original beats and wordplay of the original, this tale feels like less a sequel and more like a vaguely rewritten variation. Meanwhile, Ruiz’s art seeks to bridge the gap between the animated Chuck Jones version of the Grinch and the one depicted in the original book. This thankless task results in a strange uncanny valley between Seuss and Jones but does allow the artist a chance to colorize everything and lend some racial diversity to the Who population (Cindy-Lou is light-skinned). (This book was reviewed digitally.)

It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023

ISBN: 9780593563168

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

- BOOK REVIEW
EVERYTHING IS GRAPE!
by Alastair Heim ; illustrated by Michelle Tran

- BOOK REVIEW
NO PEEKING AT PRESENTS
by Alastair Heim ; illustrated by Sara Not

- BOOK REVIEW
QUIET DOWN, LOUD TOWN!
by Alastair Heim ; illustrated by Matt Hunt

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PEANUT BUTTER & CUPCAKE

by Terry Border ; illustrated by Terry Border ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 29, 2014

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...

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The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.

Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)