To borrow a line from this book: “Just right.”
A cub learns about opposites in this beginning-reader book based on newly unearthed sketches by the Berenstain Bears’ creators.
It’s snowing, and a bear who looks an awful lot like Stan and Jan Berenstain’s Brother Bear must get suited up before he can leave his tree house home to play outside. He tries on a comically large yellow sweater (“Too loose”) and then a comically small green one (“Too tight”) before slipping into a red one: “Just right!” Minimal text proceeds to capture other comparisons, including among three sleds (“Too long, “Too short,” “Just right!”) and, finally, among three mugs of cocoa (“Too hot,” “Too cold,” “Just right”), which Brother Bear samples indoors as Mama and Papa Bear look on, sipping from their own mugs. Mike Berenstain, who has carried on his parents’ mission following their deaths, discovered the sketches that became this book among their papers, and the illustrations, revamped by Mike, have a light-handed faithfulness to the elder Berenstains’ work. Of special interest to adults will be Mike’s letter to readers, which doesn’t just cover this book’s genesis; it also looks at the Berenstains’ early days spent trying to please exacting editor Ted Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss), who gave the Berenstain Bears their start. This recovered manuscript should be appreciated for more than its historical value. It’s a sweet and diverting intro to opposites with a loving family at its center.
To borrow a line from this book: “Just right.” (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217227815
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated.
Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s classic alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets the Halloween treatment.
Chung follows the original formula to the letter. In alphabetical order, each letter climbs to the top of a tree. They are knocked back to the ground in a jumble before climbing up in sequence again. In homage to the spooky holiday theme, they scale a “creaky old tree,” and a ghostly jump scare causes the pileup. The chunky, colorful art is instantly recognizable. The charmingly costumed letters (“H swings a tail. / I wears a patch. J and K don / bows that don’t match”) are set against a dark backdrop, framed by pages with orange or purple borders. The spreads feature spiderwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. The familiar rhyme cadence is marred by the occasional clunky or awkward phrase; in particular, the adapted refrain of “Chicka chicka tricka treat” offers tongue-twisting fun, but it’s repeatedly followed by the disappointing half-rhyme “Everybody sneaka sneak.” Even this odd construction feels shoehorned into place, since “sneaking” makes little sense when every character in the book is climbing together. The final line of the book ends on a more satisfying note, with “Everybody—time to eat!”
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781665954785
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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