A winning tale of friendship and creativity unleashed.
Bear must devise a fun outing, and the pressure is on.
Fish has many great ideas for her and her pal Bear to try. They climb the tallest tree in the woods (Bear carries Fish’s bowl on her head), ride their “summer sled” to purchase carrot muffins at the bakery, and make a tent using Bear’s favorite blanket. But when Fish suggests that Bear should choose the next day’s activity, Bear is stumped. The night is a fretful one. Eyes wide with anxiety, Bear can’t sleep. “What if she couldn’t find an idea? What if that meant she wasn’t a good friend?” And even more worrisome, what if Fish stops being her friend completely? Throughout the story, Bear checks in: “Fish, are you there?” Fish responds with calm reassurance, never doubting Bear for a second. The next morning, with continued gentle encouragement from Fish, Bear spots the tools from the previous outings and comes up with a brand-new idea that incorporates all of them. Fans of Big Bear and Little Fish (2022) will be pleased to see these characters return. Trusting that an idea will come is a daunting prospect; readers will relate to the lead-up anxiety but also the rush of excitement when it finally arrives. Eyes pooling with worry, scraggly Bear eventually gives way to pure relief and delight—all palpable in the dynamic cartoonish art.
A winning tale of friendship and creativity unleashed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9798765610176
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
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