A well-illustrated story of rivalry and friendship for young readers.
A pelican and a seagull become unlikely friends in Ahearne’s picture book.
Ever since the “bird Olympics,” during which a seagull stole a fish from a pelican mid-performance, pelican-seagull relations have been fairly hostile. Pelicans are quiet and love to do yoga; seagulls are loud and constantly partying. One Saturday, Suzie Seagull’s brother dares her to speak to the pelicans during one of their yoga sessions. She finds that they’re very welcoming and excited for her to join their workout. A pelican named Pete introduces her to his mother, the instructor, who envelops her in a big hug. The other seagulls are puzzled by Suzie’s disappearance and panic at the thought that the pelicans have eaten her. Then Suzie reappears to admonish her peers after having had a wonderful time. She and Pete become the best of friends. Ahearne’s debut picture book is silly, thoughtful, and meaningful, by turns. Its lesson about overcoming one’s preconceived notions to create lasting friendship is invaluable, although its delivery is confusing at times. For example, the narrative takes a brief turn into explaining chakras in such detail that readers may wonder what the book’s primary subject is intended to be. Sneeden’s full-color cartoon images burst with movement and energy, especially when the seagulls are anxious about Suzie.
A well-illustrated story of rivalry and friendship for young readers.Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2023
ISBN: 9798987414002
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Orion
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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