A pleasing fantasy with well-wrought verse and attractive images.
A lonely, beach-dwelling child gets a friend in this debut picture book.
Lemily, a young White child dressed in leaves and an orange starfish cap, lives all alone on a tropical island. Lemily has many companions, all of whom dwell in the sea, but they’re not ideal pals since they can’t talk. The child prays for a friend, and miraculously a bolt of lightning produces Sebastian, a mixed-race boy the same age who wears a rope and a maroon starfish hat. But he isn’t the buddy Lemily had hoped for. Sebastian has a temper, cheats at games, and can be mean. Luckily, a nanny arrives in the form of Imelda, a purple octopus who takes good care of the children and helps them get along. They now enjoy happy lives as siblings. In his book, prolific poet Charach writes nicely bouncy verse with good read-aloud potential. The rhymes—usually aab ccb—include clever word choices, such as boisterous/oysters. Kids will enjoy the prospect of a sunny play-all-day paradise with no adults barring the omnicompetent octopus caretaker. Catrinella, an experienced children’s book illustrator, provides cheery digital pictures in tropical colors.
A pleasing fantasy with well-wrought verse and attractive images.Pub Date: Feb. 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5255-8187-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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