Readers will wish all bad days were as fun as the one depicted here.
Bubble Gum Bison avoids bubble baths…until that becomes impossible.
Bubble Gum Bison is having a great day, playing with her brother (whom readers may recall from 2022’s Blue Bison Needs a Haircut), conducting science experiments at school, and chewing bubble gum and blowing bright-pink bubbles with her friends on the playground. Even slipping in a big mud puddle is fun until her mother insists that Bubble Gum Bison take a bath. No way! A muddy Bubble Gum Bison escapes out the bathroom window and heads to the playground, but all her friends have gone home. She accidentally falls into a giant pile of chewed-up bubble gum and then lands in a heap of feathers. Now she desperately wants a bath, but for some reason, the whole town is out of water. In anger, Bubble Gum Bison nearly rams her head into a rock, but she hears her brother Blue Bison ramming his head into a nearby metal pipe surrounded by a puddle of water. Could that pipe have something to do with the town’s dwindling water supply? Working together, the siblings find a way to put things right. Digitally created illustrations dominated by bubble gum pink depict an adorably anthropomorphic animal cast with big eyes and rounded features; Bubble Gum Bison’s mood shifts—from unfettered exuberance while rolling in the mud to pure irritation when she learns the water’s all gone—are a delight.
Readers will wish all bad days were as fun as the one depicted here. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 11, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702956
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House Studio
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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