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
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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