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HOW TO GROW A MARSHMALLOW TREE

From the Amelia and Paco series

A sweet tale about a child’s wild imagination.

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In this picture book, a little girl and a polar bear love marshmallows.

Amelia is a girl with light brown skin, big brown eyes, and wavy dark hair. Her best friend, Paco, is three times Amelia’s size, with white fur, a large black nose, and expressive eyes. On the story’s first page, readers see a drawing of the polar bear on Amelia’s bedroom rug. The pals are down to their last marshmallow, and Paco gives it to the girl to eat. Then Amelia has a brainstorm: “Paco, I have the best idea ever!…If you plant an apple seed, a tree full of apples will grow. So, let’s plant a marshmallow tree! I already know how to do it.” Paco is skeptical but he digs a hole; Amelia plants their last marshmallow, and they cover it with soil and wait. Nothing. They try watering the soil and giving it sugar. Finally, Amelia remembers that plants need love to grow, so the two friends sing to the marshmallow and tell jokes until suddenly it sprouts into a huge tree. Bertran’s full-page illustrations are bold and colorful and show the whole day, with stars filling the evening sky as Amelia and Paco hope their tree will materialize. Gamarra’s engaging story begins and ends in Amelia’s bedroom, so the sense of her fantasy world is bookended by tangible clues about her big imagination. Paco remains charming and lovable even when he gets “hangry” waiting for the tree to sprout.

A sweet tale about a child’s wild imagination.

Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2023

ISBN: 9798988583424

Page Count: 26

Publisher: Marshmallow Tree Press

Review Posted Online: Nov. 27, 2023

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PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

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

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  • Kirkus Reviews'
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  • New York Times Bestseller


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  • Caldecott Honor

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KNIGHT OWL

From the Knight Owl series , Vol. 1

A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.

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  • Caldecott Honor

A young owl achieves his grand ambition.

Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.

A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 15, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books

Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022

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