Get ready—young readers will be clamoring for this book. Storytime perfection.
The tale of a pristine little pig.
On page after page, Ruzzier details Rosie’s precise morning routine. She awakens “in her neat little room” before using the toilet, washing up, taking a bubble bath, cleaning the bathroom, moisturizing her skin, brushing her hair, dressing, eating breakfast, carefully clearing up, and, at last, brushing her teeth and gargling. “And now, Rosie is finally ready,” reads a page showing the precious piglet in her pink rosette-covered dress and matching shoes. But what exactly is Rosie ready for? Despite her exhaustively detailed preparations, punctuated by speech ballons with endearing asides from Rosie herself, nowhere on the preceding pages do we learn of her plans. This reticence sets up a deliciously subtle moment of suspense when Rosie calls out, “See you later, Mom” and heads for the front door. On the facing page, Rosie is centered in a circular portrait, breaking the fourth wall and offering an impish grin. A page turn delivers a pleasing punchline with aplomb: “PLOP!” reads display type in thick, rounded letters as Rosie delightedly jumps into a mud puddle right outside her front door. Relying on his signature pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations, Ruzzier establishes a tone of domestic tranquility before upending it in one spectacularly joyous moment; this is an author who wholly understands both children’s love of structure and their craving for pure chaos.
Get ready—young readers will be clamoring for this book. Storytime perfection. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 21, 2026
ISBN: 9781419780691
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sure to have little ones giggling.
Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”
Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.
Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250814388
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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