A thoroughly delicious (and practically wordless) charmer.
Step aside, Sal. There’s a new blueberry lover in town.
A hopeful bear cub sidles up to the grown-up of the house to ask, “Blueberry cake?” A red bucket is produced with the one-word instruction “Blueberries,” and off the cub skips to collect the delicious fruit. At first all goes well. A massive field filled with blueberry bushes extends as far as the eye can see. But little bears have little attention spans, and next thing you know the cub has come home, not with a bucket full of blueberries but with a bucket full of flowers. “No blueberries,” the cub admits. “No blueberry cake” is the straightforward reply. Can the little bear make amends the next day? Yes! The cake is baked and devoured, and then the little bear utters a single word: “Applesauce?” Tapping into the enthusiasm of small children and infused with a laconic humor, this book is bound to prove a rollicking read-aloud for all that it has a minimal text that mostly consists of repetition of the critical words: blueberry cake and blueberries. Ripe and ripening blueberries abound on the page, meticulously rendered in exquisite detail. Such details extend to other elements of the bucolic setting, such as the black-eyed Susans, Queen Anne’s lace, and even a passing monarch butterfly. A note from the author and a recipe for blueberry cake round out this deeply satisfying story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A thoroughly delicious (and practically wordless) charmer. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-5134-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2021
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.
Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!
Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9781454999621
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
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