Refreshing, beautiful, moving, and meaningful.
A robin is a harbinger of hope.
Though snow and ice linger, winter is over; spring greenery beckons. A robin searches for someplace to build a nest. Observing that streets, roads, and playgrounds are quiet and empty, the bird finally spies a tree overlooking an apartment building. The robin chirps joyfully—and awakens the curiosity of the building’s tenants, still indoors. They flock to their windows, eager to witness this visitor, a reminder of the glorious natural world. A parent brings a youngster to see the robin up close; one resident photographs it; an elderly adult encourages a kid to view the bird through binoculars; another resident lifts a dog to look and listen; two kids chat excitedly via next-door windows. The robin painstakingly builds a nest, lays eggs, and then feeds the hatchlings—all while diverse neighbors connect with nature and one another. This sweet, understated story is wordless—a perfect way to tell it, as it requires youngsters to relate to the illustrations in a unique, profoundly personal way. They’ll bring their own sensibilities, understanding, ideas, and vocabulary to the artwork and, in doing so, connect with the book’s theme—our deep connection to nature and the world around us. The elegant, lush, textured artwork, appearing as if produced on a soft cloth backing, was created using a combination of watercolor and gouache and finished digitally. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Refreshing, beautiful, moving, and meaningful. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781459831438
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale.
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)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
ISBN: 9781665990646
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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