Short and sweet, full of adventure and heartwarming moments.
A shrew moves into his own burrow and makes unlikely friends along the way in Agauas’ children’s chapter book.
Evert the shrew is one of seven siblings. He has grown tired of his crowded household and decides to go out to find a place he can call his own. Evert believes he has found just that underneath the roots of an old maple tree; however, he is in for a surprise when he learns that the nice garden just outside his new home is actually populated by humans (which Evert and his mother call “giants”) who react to his presence with less screaming and stomping than he expected. One giant even seems to think he’s cute, despite the stories his mother has told him of how mean they can be. Evert still tries to avoid them (just in case) and instead almost runs into a cat that lives in the house on the hill with the giants. Determined to keep a low profile, when Evert meets a frog named Goodwin, he is reluctant to befriend such a loud and friendly animal. Evert tries to live by his mother’s survival-oriented rules like “Keep to yourself” and “Mind your own business,” but he finds himself repeatedly roped into adventures with his neighbors, whether they’re taking him to get furniture or conscripting him for a rescue mission. Over the course of the story, Evert learns that maybe not all of his mother’s rules need to be followed—especially when he begins to reconsider whether he wants to be alone all the time or just sometimes. This children’s chapter book conveys a poignant message about the importance of friendship and community. Interspersed between the chapters are stunning watercolor illustrations that add to the lighthearted, whimsical tone of this tale. Evert is a stubborn yet endearing character whom readers will root for as he discovers the importance of forging bonds with others in his new home. (Even the humans surprise Evert with their kindness and show that his extreme caution can hinder more than help when he’s out on his own.) This is an engaging journey of self-discovery that is sure to keep a young reader’s attention.
Short and sweet, full of adventure and heartwarming moments.Pub Date: June 24, 2024
ISBN: 9781732271142
Page Count: 148
Publisher: Why Not Now? Children's Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 3, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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