Well-intentioned but ultimately lacking in kid appeal.
They’re shredded, stained, and stinky. A New York City kid’s favorite sneakers, or “kicks,” have lived an action-packed life.
Skateboarding, tree-climbing, and puddle-splashing have taken their toll. The young black boy is devastated when Mom declares the need for new shoes. He regales his mother with stories about each and every scuff, tear, and splatter as she drags him downtown. In the store the boy rejects all choices, but Mom is adamant. Disgruntled, the child points at random and is pleasantly surprised with the results. The shiny yellow kicks make him jump higher, run faster, and feel just right. The old red canvas shoes are finally retired to a place of honor. Verde’s overlong story stretches credulity in asking readers to believe that a young boy’s shoes will last from summer to summer without getting outgrown. It’s difficult to engage with the nameless boy, whose uneven first-person narration ranges from childlike exclamations (“It was awesome! I RULED that day!”) to adult nostalgia (“These sneakers have soul in their soles. Joy in each hole”). Kath’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations are dynamic, but the facial features are fairly generic. The “Shoe-Tying Guide” touted on the dust jacket is printed on the cover instead of on the endpapers, a design flaw that renders the guide virtually inaccessible to library users because most institutions affix the jacket to the book.
Well-intentioned but ultimately lacking in kid appeal. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: April 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2309-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Jan. 31, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
An early reader that kids will want to befriend.
In an odd-couple pairing of Bear and Chipmunk, only one friend is truly happy to spend the day at the beach.
“Not me!” is poor Chipmunk’s lament each time Bear expresses the pleasure he takes in sunning, swimming, and other activities at the beach. While controlled, repetitive text makes the story accessible to new readers, slapstick humor characterizes the busy watercolor-and-ink illustrations and adds interest. Poor Chipmunk is pinched by a crab, buried in sand, and swept upside down into the water, to name just a few mishaps. Although other animal beachgoers seem to notice Chipmunk’s distress, Bear cheerily goes about his day and seems blithely ignorant of his friend’s misfortunes. The playful tone of the illustrations helps soften the dynamic so that it doesn’t seem as though Chipmunk is in grave danger or that Bear is cruel. As they leave at the end of the book Bear finally asks, “Why did you come?” and Chipmunk’s sweet response caps off the day with a warm sunset in the background.
An early reader that kids will want to befriend. (Early reader. 5-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3546-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts.
Ohtani, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, teams up with Blank and Liem to tell the story of how his dog, Decoy, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.
It’s a big day! Decoy leaps “off the bed. Then back onto the bed. Then off the bed.” The enthusiastic pup heads outside to practice with his lucky baseball but is quickly distracted by squirrels (“we’ll play later!”), airplanes (“flyin’ high!”), and flowers (“smell ya soon!”). Dog and pitcher then head to the ballpark. In the locker room, Decoy high-paws Shohei’s teammates. It’s nearly time! But as Shohei prepares to warm up, Decoy realizes that he’s forgotten something important: his lucky ball. Without it, there will be “no championships, no parades, and no hot dogs!” Back home he goes, returning just in time. With Shohei at the plate, Decoy runs from the mound to his owner, rolling the ball into Shohei’s mitt for a “Striiiiike!” Related from a dog’s point of view, Ohtani and Blank’s energetic text lends the tale a sense of urgency and suspense. Liem’s illustrations capture the excitement of the first day of baseball season and the joys of locker room camaraderie, as well as Shohei and Decoy’s mutual affection—even when the ball is drenched in slobber, Shohei’s love for his pet shines through, and clearly, Decoy is focused when it matters.
A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9780063460775
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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