A funny and schmaltz-free lovefest.
A child and some animals receive a tutorial on hugging.
“What can you do when your heart’s supply of / happy-jolly-joyful tickled pink runs dry?” “What can you do when you want to pout / and your silly-giddy-perky-peppy thoughts run out?” An omniscient narrator has the answer for one kid with peach skin and brown pigtails: “Get a…HUG! / Yeah, I said get a hug.” The narrator proceeds to dispense hugging advice as the kid traipses around outdoors encountering a variety of animals (and occasional humans, who are illustrated with a variety of skin tones) who could really use some love. Words of wisdom for an elephant: “Start off small so you feel at ease; / unroll that trunk for a distant squeeze.” Stocker’s buoyant and resourceful rhymes (“There’s nothing like a hug from a sweet bovine, / but what do you do with a porcupine?”) are word- and (mostly) beat-perfect and maintain their pep and ingenuity for the length of the book, which concludes with—what else?—a group hug. Despite the subject matter, there’s not a trace of sentimentality because the cuteness, which is rampant in Hoang-Zhu’s cartoony, emotions-front colored-pencil and Procreate art, is always leavened with humor, as when a cat uses a snorkel in order to hug an affection-starved fish swimming in its bowl. Oh, and what do you do with a porcupine who’s in the market for a hug? Two words: bubble wrap.
A funny and schmaltz-free lovefest. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2026
ISBN: 9781665972727
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world.
Be a “somebody” who makes a difference!
A Black child witnesses various transgressions over the course of a day. Noticing trash on the walk to the bus stop, the young narrator thinks, “Somebody should do something about that.” Two students push their way ahead of everyone else in order to get good seats on the school bus, prompting the child to muse, “Somebody should speak up about that.” Throughout the day, the child notices examples of bullying and unfairness. These seemingly minor infractions start mounting. Finally, when the protagonist’s teacher tells the students that it’s snack time, the narrator notices that some students don’t have anything to eat. Instead of wishing for a “somebody,” the perceptive pupil realizes, “I am Somebody” and shares food with the others. The epiphany doesn’t stop there. When the narrator arrives home and notices there are toys everywhere but Mom is on a work call, the child responds to Mom’s request for help by cleaning up the mess. Accompanied by simple yet expressive illustrations, this is a loving and much-needed story that encourages kids to make a difference; pair it with Joshunda Sanders’ I Can Write the World (2019), illustrated by Charly Palmer. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Empowerment to children to be the change they wish to see in the world. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 27, 2023
ISBN: 9780762480517
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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