A rollicking Halloween adventure.
Who will save the moon?
It’s Halloween night when Gretchen, dressed as a princess, notices that the moon is vanishing. Mitchell, probably her older brother, decides that as the Sorcerer of Space (his costume), it is his job to put things right, and he can’t have sidekicks (“Too dangerous”). Fanciful watercolor-and-acrylic illustrations loaded with detail depict the mighty Mitchell blasting off into space on his “moon ladder,” blowing up meteors, lassoing the moon, and conquering the Jack O’Jerks (hungry, flying jack-o’-lanterns) with the help of a mysteriously appearing sidekick (readers will have noticed what Mitchell did not: Gretchen has tagged along). With a few magic words (“SNIZZLE SCOOT! BLAMMITY BOOT!”), Mitchell’s lightning wand takes care of business, and Gretchen repairs the moon, allowing them to return to their friends, Clark and Annabelle, for pumpkin seeds and trick-or-treating. (Annabelle takes the lead in the simultaneously publishing Annabelle at the South Pole.) The plot is light and fast-paced and captures the feeling of a child’s imaginary play; though a bit thin, overall, this is a quick, enjoyable read with plenty of action, bound to appeal to boys and girls alike, particularly when paired with its sister selection. The children have different hair colors but share the same pale skin tone.
A rollicking Halloween adventure. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-547-907-03-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series.
Another creature is on the loose.
The long-running series continues its successful formula with this Hallmark card of a book, which features bright illustrations and catchy rhymes. This time, the mythical creature the racially diverse children set out to catch is an absent mom who does it all (lists of descriptors include the words banker, caregiver, nurse, doctor, driver, chef, housekeeper, teacher, entertainer, playmate, laundry service, problem solver, handywoman, cleaner, and alarm clock) but doesn’t seem to have a job outside the home and is inexplicably a dinosaur. As the children prepare gifts and a meal for her, the text becomes an ode to the skills the Mamasaurus possesses (“Day or night she’s always there. / She meets every wish and need”) and values she instills (“Sometimes life can mean hard work,” “kindness matters,” and “what counts is doing your best”). This well-intentioned selection veers into cliche generously sprinkled with saccharine but manages to redeem itself with its appreciation for mothers and all that they may do. Endpapers include a “to” and “from” page framed in a heart, as well as a page where young gift givers or recipients can draw a picture of their Mamasaurus.
A syrupy tribute to mothers that may please fans of the series. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9781728274300
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
A visually striking, engaging picture book that sends the message that everyone counts.
A playful counting book also acts as a celebration of family and human diversity.
Shannon’s text is delivered in spare, rhythmic, lilting verse that begins with one and counts up to 10 as it presents different groupings of things and people in individual families, always emphasizing the unitary nature of each combination. “One is six. One line of laundry. One butterfly’s legs. One family.” Gomez’s richly colored pictures clarify and expand on all that the text lists: For “six,” a picture showing six members of a multigenerational family of color includes a line of laundry with six items hanging from it outside of their windows, as well as the painting of a six-legged butterfly that a child in the family is creating. While text never directs the art to depict diverse individuals and family constellations, Gomez does just this in her illustrations. Interracial families are included, as are depictions of men with their arms around each other, and a Sikh man wearing a turban. This inclusive spirit supports the text’s culminating assertion that “One is one and everyone. One earth. One world. One family.”
A visually striking, engaging picture book that sends the message that everyone counts. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 26, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-374-30003-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Frances Foster/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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