A brief introduction to good twin kitties and a rascally mouse.
Kit and Kaboodle are the stars of Wells’ newest series, kitty twins who never make any trouble—but a little mouse named Spinka creates all kinds of mischief for them.
Wearing a jaunty red cap, wee Spinka is the villain of this “not me!” story. In three short vignettes, the little mouse creates just a teaspoon of trouble in each. Mama and Daddy immediately blame the twins for each misadventure, while the kitties profess their innocence. Neither adults nor children ever notice the sneaky squeaker, who gleefully relishes her devious behavior. With signature Wells’ colors and animal sweetness, the illustrations will have young listeners searching out the impish mouse. The trouble is tiny indeed, as the extent of it is only a slightly stern parent blaming the children for using too much bubble bath or eating one of the chocolate blimpies. Discussions can focus on how Spinka feels left out when she doesn’t receive a gift or isn’t invited to play baseball. Will Spinka ever be caught? Or is Spinka just an imaginary pot-stirrer? Further ambiguity is introduced when Kit, who wears a dress and pink shoes while Kaboodle sports shorts, is referred to with the same masculine pronoun as their twin. Is it a typo or an exploration of gender ambiguity? Readers will need to wait till the next installment to find out.
A brief introduction to good twin kitties and a rascally mouse. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-250-13075-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an...
A little boy exults in his new role as big brother.
Rhyming text describes the arrival of a new baby and all of the big brother’s rewarding new duties. He gets to help with feedings, diaper changes, playtime, bathtime, and naptime. Though the rhyming couplets can sometimes feel a bit forced and awkward, the sentiment is sweet, as the focus here never veers from the excitement and love a little boy feels for his tiny new sibling. The charming, uncluttered illustrations convincingly depict the growing bond between this fair-skinned, rosy-cheeked, smiling pair of boys. In the final pages, the parents, heretofore kept mostly out of view, are pictured holding the children. The accompanying text reads: “Mommy, Daddy, baby, me. / We love each other—a family!” In companion volume I Am a Big Sister, the little boy is replaced with a little girl with bows in her hair. Some of the colors and patterns in the illustrations are slightly altered, but it is essentially the same title.
A good choice for caregivers looking for a positive, uncomplicated introduction to a new baby that focuses on everything an older sibling can do to help. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-68886-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This revisitation of familiar holiday fare doesn’t stand out.
A visit from St. Nicholas with a trip to the barnyard, too.
In their cadence, rhyme scheme, and word choices, Manning’s adapted verses borrow liberally from the original poem credited to Clement C. Moore (and sometimes to Henry Livingston). Occasional word choices can read like missteps rather than innovations, however; the original poem’s “wondering eyes” are recast as “wandering eyes,” for example. Instead of using the poem’s original first-person narrator, this version employs the omniscient third to introduce a little lamb who awakens and observes Santa Claus’ sleigh landing on the farmhouse roof. No one joins her in her observations, but readers are invited to do so as she tries to figure out what’s happening in the full-bleed, rather flat art that seems like something from an animation studio. Eventually, it’s not what the lamb sees but what she hears that moves her from befuddlement to understanding, when Santa (who appears White) laughs “Ho, ho, ho.” As she watches him place presents under the tree in the house, she hopes he’ll have gifts for her, too. He does, of course, and the illustrations show the fruits, veggies, and other animal-friendly treats he puts into their stockings before leaving the little lamb to settle in again to sleep away the rest of Christmas Eve. It’s all sweet but hardly novel.
This revisitation of familiar holiday fare doesn’t stand out. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0625-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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