Put pedal to the metal and read this as fast as wheels will allow.
At last, an answer to that long-standing question: would you trust a T. rex in the driver’s seat?
Bespectacled, bescarved Rex is all too happy to show his staid and steady pal Stego all the noises his sporty roadster makes. His favorite? The honk. Alas, honking is explicitly forbidden according to copious signage and Stego’s unwavering commitment to the rules. Yet when a fire truck must make way, Rex at last lets loose with a torrent of emergency-excused honks. Lesson learned? Not even slightly. It’s fabulous to see a character with glasses depicted as the one with the impulse-control issues in a book. Rex’s charm and Stego’s worrywart concerns battle it out for dominion in the hearts of child readers. The aptly named Ferrari’s watercolors neatly capture both Rex’s joie de vivre and the madcap energy of the city. (Readers may wonder at the ease with which Stego’s plates are accommodated when he sits down, however.) The rhyming text’s scansion also works consistently, and the simple wordplay allows this to double as both a read-aloud and a text for emerging readers. A sudden right-hand turn into metafictive territory prevents the book from nailing the landing, but it’s hard to resist the sheer exuberant id of the hero and his superego stand-in best friend.
Put pedal to the metal and read this as fast as wheels will allow. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3672-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones.
What’s better than a cheerleading chicken?
Are you ever blue, unsure, tired, or overworked? Do you ever feel lost or overwhelmed? This uplifting book, expressed in delightful, jaunty verse, explains how to lift your spirits pronto: What you need is a booster chicken telling you’re doing great even when you’re not so confident, as when you’re learning or practicing a new skill, for instance. Your feathered champion will be right there, encouraging you all the way, with a loud “WOO HOO!” that’ll keep you going and remove any doubt you’re super terrific. But what if your cheerful chick errs and doesn’t do what it set out to do? Don’t worry—your cheery chicken just needs a reminder that everyone makes mistakes. That alone is a pep talk, enhanced by the wisdom that making mistakes allows everyone to learn and demonstrate they did their best. So forgive yourself, chickens! But the best thing is…instead of relying on someone else—like a chicken—to strengthen your ego, say a generous daily “WOO HOO!” to yourself. This riotous book hits all the right notes and does so succinctly and hilariously. The energetic, comical illustrations, in Boynton’s signature style, will elicit giggles and go far to make the book’s important point. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-316-48679-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
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