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THE LITTLE CHEFS

Name: THE LITTLE CHEFS
Author: Rosemary Wells
ISBN: 9781662640711

by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 22, 2024

Pure magic.

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Prolific author and illustrator Wells returns with three stories of kitchen disasters saved by the Little Chefs.

In the first tale, when a kitten named Sylvie burns the chicken pot pie she made as a surprise for her mama, she uses the tiny hidden phone in the kitchen to call the Little Chefs, tiny humans, diverse in terms of hair and skin color. They “whip up a supper fit for a queen” before disappearing quickly, leaving a clean kitchen in their wake. The Little Chefs show up in the next two stories to help Leo, a young porcupine who makes a mess while attempting to prepare French toast and raspberry meringue for his father, and then Oscar, a bunny who uses salt instead of sugar while making a cake for his sister, Pearl. The main characters are darling, anthropomorphized animals, reminiscent of characters in Wells’ past work. Each entry begins with a little blurb titled “Little Chefs in History” that offers a related culinary anecdote. The rhyming refrain of the Little Chefs’ call ties all three tales together, though they can also be enjoyed individually. Adults will appreciate the glorious idea of a salvaged meal, and children will delight in the wonder of tiny cooks who visit from a faraway land and disappear without a trace.

Pure magic. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2024

ISBN: 9781662640711

Page Count: 80

Publisher: Hippo Park/Astra Books for Young Readers

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024

Categories:

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

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GENIUS IN A HIGH CHAIR
by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells

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ON THE NIGHT BEFORE KINDERGARTEN
by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells

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IF YOU BELIEVE IN ME
by Rosemary Wells ; illustrated by Rosemary Wells

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)