Don’t be chicken: Stick with this one, a story that beats the band.
Three are simply better than two.
Bear and Squirrel, last seen in I’m Sticking With You (2020), rebuff Chicken’s entreaties to join their band. They’re adamant: “Three is a crowd.” Chicken eventually takes the hint and, spying a poster announcing “Musician Wanted (Chickens Only),” departs for that more welcoming gig. Unbeknownst to her, however—but perfectly knownst to little ones—is what that gig entails. In a giggle- (and uh-oh–) inducing scene, we see a wolf pack seated around a boiling pot, cutlery at the ready, waiting for their “musician.” Meanwhile, Bear and Squirrel attempt to convince themselves they did right in casting Chicken aside. Just in time, though, they catch wind of the wolves’ plot and rescue “their” Chicken. Bear and Squirrel, having changed their, ahem, tune, staunchly defend Chicken’s right to join the band, and they become a threesome. This adorable friendship story sings with charm, and the bouncy, rhythmic text scans beautifully. Bear, Squirrel, and Chicken are wonderfully expressive characters, individualized not only by their word choices, but also through printed type: Each one’s speech is signaled via different fonts. The protagonists may look very different, but this never dampens their camaraderie. The comically detailed illustrations, hand-drawn with pencil, painted with watercolor, and composed digitally, buzz with energy. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Don’t be chicken: Stick with this one, a story that beats the band. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 18, 2023
ISBN: 9781250849656
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Godwin Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 7, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2023
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
