Fun, fun, fun! (Picture book. 3-6)
Two ducks plus one moose equals mayhem, mischief and true friendship.
The three words of the title are the only three words used in the text (aside from a couple of signs in the illustrations). A sequence of scenes depicts the two ducks going about their tasks with care and attention. They clean, they paint, they blow up balloons, they bake—they are planning a party for the moose. And the moose? He clumsily messes up all of their work. Remorseful, he sits on a log until his two good friends coax him home for a festive party. Jones’ cartoon artwork tells the story with detailed, precise drawings of the ducks outlined in black against a clean white background. The moose’s antics, in contrast, are chaotic, with colors and spillage abounding. All three faces are wonderfully expressive. Neat hand lettering used for “duck” and “duck” becomes demonstrative Magic Marker scrawls accented with exclamation points for “MOOSE.” Emerging readers will easily join in the fun. The page design allows for a well-paced and entertaining read-aloud, and kids will love seeing how the traditional children’s game gets a funny new setting with “moose” taking the place of “goose.”
Fun, fun, fun! (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-7110-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Oct. 19, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Expect more fruit to find its way to young ears, thanks to this gentle cross-species tale of friendship.
Wish fulfillment comes via fruit-based communications and a whole lot of imagination.
With a tone and cadence similar to that of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (1985), this tale informs young readers of what might happen if they were to go and make a call on a “banana phone.” Clearly, if you made a call on a banana, you’d get a gorilla on the other end. The creature might have a lot of questions about you, like why you’re calling or what you look like. (“They might want to know if you have stripes or spots, horns or a tail.”) Family members may doubt that you’re really speaking to a gorilla, but soon enough, other animals will wish to talk to you, too. And if the gorilla and friends come to visit, you won’t be surprised. After all, if you make a call on a banana phone, “You might just make a friend.” Sterer’s text may lie almost entirely in suppositions, but the results are magical. Like a series of Henri Rousseau paintings brought to life, Hughes’ artwork boasts a strong mix of fantasy and normality. The illustrations bring a warmth and understanding to not only the gorilla-child interactions but also to the human family unit. Human characters are pale-skinned and dark-haired.
Expect more fruit to find its way to young ears, thanks to this gentle cross-species tale of friendship. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780063375222
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
In time for Halloween, a BOO-k about a ghost that young readers will enjoy.
What can a ghost do when she’s lost her boo?
Little Ghost has a dilemma. Attempting to frighten an unsuspecting human (who presents White), she finds to her dismay that, instead of her signature sound, only “a rush of cold air” escapes her mouth. Mama Ghost sympathizes but fears her child’s “fright nights are done.” Not one to give up easily, Little Ghost launches a search. She encounters her friends Owl, Pigeon, and Rooster, whose sounds are all similar to “Boo”; unable to join Little Ghost in her search for her boo, they offer to lend her their cries. She declines, explaining that, while the calls are perfect for them, they aren’t as scary as hers. She finally heads home, despondent, and meets another pal whose voice resembles her own. In an unexpected concluding twist, Little Ghost locates the friend she most needs, the one who will assuredly help reclaim her boo-tiful sound. This cute but thin rhyming New Zealand import will appeal to ghost fans; they’ll definitely want to comply—loudly—with the final instruction. The jaunty rhyming couplets mostly succeed but are sometimes awkward. Illustrations and white text type pop against saturated turquoise backgrounds. Occasionally, certain words and onomatopoeic sounds, such as the animals’ calls, are capitalized and appear in display type for dramatic effect. Chubby Little Ghost is amorphous, winsome, and wide eyed. Her pals have a bright, folk art–y appearance.
In time for Halloween, a BOO-k about a ghost that young readers will enjoy. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-20215-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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