A captivating new duo.
Fish and Sun become fast friends in this Level 1 entry in the I Can Read! Comics series.
Fish, small and lavender-hued, is bored. It’s too dark and cold in Fish’s watery abode, so Fish tells Mom: “I’m going out.” Unfortunately, it’s “dark and cold and boring” at the surface too—that is, until Fish sees a yellow orb with long, spindly rays rise in the sky. “I’m Sun,” the friendly presence says, and a friendship is born. When Sun turns red and sets, Fish mourns the loss but happily reunites with Sun the next day after the clouds part. Young readers will identify with Fish’s extreme mood swings: ennui followed by elation followed by heartache (“I am afraid I will never see my friend Sun again”)—and joy once again when the pair reunites. Compositions are tightly focused and uncluttered; lines are simple and clean; and details delight, such as when Fish sleeps on a pillow at the bottom of the ocean and—after Sun asks, “Do you know any tricks?”—gleefully spits water. The book nearly sparkles with color: The sun-dappled palette is one of warm, eye-catching, and elegant pastel shades. The book’s dialogue is set in bold black text in clean, white speech balloons. Level 1 comics in this series promise “simple stories for shared reading,” and those adults sharing this one can expect requests for rereads. A tutorial on reading comics precedes the story.
A captivating new duo. (Graphic early reader. 4-8)Pub Date: June 22, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-307664-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sweet, reassuring fun—and a story to fully embrace.
A slug longs for a hug and finds it unexpectedly.
Doug the slug would really like a hug and plods on, seeking affection. But a caterpillar, bug, spider, and worm want no part of hugging a slug. They are just not feeling it (might they feel sluggish?), voicing their disdain in no uncertain terms with expressions like, “Grimy, slippy!” and “Squelchy, slimy!” What’s a slug to do? Undeterred, Doug keeps trying. He meets Gail, a snail with crimson lipstick and hip, red glasses; she happens to be as grimy and squelchy as he is, so he figures she is the hugger of his dreams. The two embark upon a madcap romantic courtship. Alas, Gail also draws the (slimy) line at hugging Doug. Finally, mournful Doug meets the best hugger and the true love of his life, proving there’s someone for everyone. This charmer will have readers rooting for Doug (and perhaps even wanting to hug him). Expressed in simple, jaunty verses that read and scan smoothly, the brief tale revolves around words that mainly rhyme with Doug and slug. Given that the story stretches vocabulary so well with regard to rhyming words, children can be challenged after a read-aloud session to offer up words that rhyme with slug and snail. The colorful and humorous illustrations are lively and cheerful; googly-eyed Doug is, like the other characters, entertaining and expressive. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sweet, reassuring fun—and a story to fully embrace. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-66590-046-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
© Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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