A fierce, funny parable about sinking one’s teeth into creative expression.
A frustrated little critter tries to bite everything in sight.
In an earlier book, Zilbo, a pointy-nosed dog with sharply rendered eyebrows, learned that grumpiness is extremely contagious. In his latest outing, he becomes so angry that he begins biting all that he sees. He sharpens his fangs on smaller stuff first: biting the television when he loses his video game (and shattering it spectacularly) and chomping on his alarm clock when it wakes him up. Bikes, hats, basketballs: Nothing is safe. The sun’s heat infuriates Zilbo, so he tries to climb up to the top of a tree to reach his target. Though he fails, he spots a bird in a beret painting a landscape. Zilbo borrows the supplies, paints the sun, and bites the painting! The avian artist has given him a gift: Zilbo discovers he can funnel his frustrated energy into self-expression. Zilbo’s artwork is far more well received than his fits of fury were. Focusing on Zilbo’s irritation, this graphic novel will feel hilariously relatable to many young readers, though some caregivers may look askance at Zilbo’s initial predilection for biting. Zilbo’s bright, simple surroundings and supportive, sensitive friends create a welcoming comic-book setting, while Benton’s clear, expressive text meets early elementary readers on their level.
A fierce, funny parable about sinking one’s teeth into creative expression. (Graphic fiction. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9780063460478
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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