No, whining won’t shorten the journey…but it can make it more entertaining.
Slow and steady may win the race—but it’s not this butterfly’s style.
Having achieved metamorphosis despite many fits and starts in The VERY Impatient Caterpillar (2019), Burach’s popeyed, loudly colored flutterer faces a whole new challenge: tailing the rest of the migrating butterfly flock across a long stretch of ocean. “200 MILES? How am I supposed to travel that far?” Diving down the blowhole of a passing whale to hitch a ride in its stomach (anatomical detail is not a strong point here) turns out to be a nonstarter…but the whale does prove to be a supportive cheerleader. It horks the anguished insect up, admitting that even whales can be anxious sometimes and urging it to “KEEP TRYING” and “Believe you can.” Finally the insect boldly proclaims, “I got this!” And 200 miles of storms and predators later, it does indeed got this, landing amid bright flowers to a warm welcome from its fluttery compatriots. “You found your way!” Alas, the triumph quickly turns to fresh panic with the news that it’s almost time to go dormant for the winter. “Dorma-WHAT-now?” Stay still all winter? Uh-oh. Young members of the “Are we there yet?” chorus will wince in sympathy. The insect’s exaggerated expressions and frantic expostulations will elicit plenty of giggles, and sly pictorial details will keep a broad range of readers happy during rereads.
No, whining won’t shorten the journey…but it can make it more entertaining. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-61500-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends
Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler—heck, every human: “Waiting is not easy!”
When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that she has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the “surprise is a surprise.” Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it’s big, it’s pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on this basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald lets out an almighty “GROAN!” Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day; Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait; Gerald groans. As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. “WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY!…And for WHAT!?” Piggie then gestures up to the Milky Way, which an awed Gerald acknowledges “was worth the wait.” Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can’t help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald’s elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait.
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends . (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9957-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
Music takes center stage and bullies get properly pun-ished in this hearty and wholesome howl.
In this picture book from singer Parton and co-author Perl, a small French bulldog goes to Nashville, joins a band, fends off bullies, and meets one of the queens of country music.
Promising at the outset that this is just the first of a series of adventures starring her beloved “god-dog,” Parton goes on to hit all the conventional thematic notes. Inspired by musical dreams, Billy heads for Nashville. After a “ruff day” in which being scorned by big dogs for not being a “true muttropolitan” leaves him feeling “lower than a stick on the ground,” he eats some flowers, strums some tunes, forms a band with a trio of little dogs, and, after sending the big pooches packing, trots out a “pawsome” performance at the “Battle of the Bow-Wows.” And from there it’s on to the Grand Ole Opry to hear his big-haired favorite singer warble out lines from her song “Makin’ Fun Ain’t Funny,” about celebrating differences rather than mocking them. Haley slips those lines, along with references to “Jowlene” and “I will pawlways love you,” into painted scenes of an all-dog-or-Dolly cast set against swirls of music and simply drawn backdrops. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Music takes center stage and bullies get properly pun-ished in this hearty and wholesome howl. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9780593661574
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
IN THE NEWS
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
