A pleasant, if slightly uneven, cat tale with a lesson about facing one’s fears.
An anxious cat learns lessons from family members with various skills in Kott-Tannenbaum’s brief picture book.
Rosencrantz is a 2-year-old tuxedo cat whose nickname is “Rosie.” Sometimes Rosie is scared of loud noises, such as vacuum cleaners and fireworks, so he hides. Luckily, Rosie’s older brother, Guildenstern—known as “Gil”—teaches Rosie that feeling afraid is perfectly fine. Gil is so courageous that he’s even been on an airplane before. Rosie’s sister, Portia, is also brave around loud noises; she even dances when the vacuum starts. Rosencrantz practices being brave himself by exploring new places outdoors, and he works on his balance to move like Portia. After a busy day, Rosie feels more confident in his skills, and also ready to do what he does best: curl up in his favorite place—a laundry basket—and nap. Kott-Tannenbaum’s kids’ story has a somewhat subtle message—it’s great to learn new things, as long as you know yourself—that may be unclear to kids on first reading. Not until the last page does the title of the story make sense, which may initially confuse some, but Fu’s full-color, painterly illustrations have a certain sweetness to them, and Rosie’s eyes convey plenty of emotion—happiness, uncertainty, excitement—throughout the gentle story.
A pleasant, if slightly uneven, cat tale with a lesson about facing one’s fears.Pub Date: March 23, 2024
ISBN: 9798218353742
Page Count: 18
Publisher: GreenMud Design
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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