Spirited and sweet, though a bit preachy.
Vera won’t let anything stop her as she follows her dreams all the way to space.
Located in a jungle, the Great Space Academy is a prestigious school for aspiring child astronauts. Vera’s thrilled to begin her studies there. Her new friend Ana notes that there aren’t many girls at the school, but Vera remains confident. She trains hard, aiming to earn one of only three coveted spots on an expedition to Mars. The tests are grueling, but Vera tackles each challenge with courage and determination. Commander Polaris is surprised as she meets her tasks with aplomb; her classmate Leo resents her success and sabotages the final test. After Vera is passed over for the mission, disaster strikes the Mars-bound crew. Vera and Ana must rely on their training to save the day. Vera’s heroism leads to a successful astronaut career, inspiring more girls to follow in her footsteps. Themes of perseverance and female empowerment are front and center, though the story feels heavy-handed in its messaging, and adult readers in particular may balk at the implication that women and girls must go above and beyond their male peers in order to be recognized. Translated from Spanish, the text is straightforward, if at times stiff; Leo’s abrupt transition from disgruntled to appreciative feels unconvincing. Vera is tan-skinned with curly black hair, Ana is pale-skinned and blond-haired, and Leo is tan-skinned and red-haired.
Spirited and sweet, though a bit preachy. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9788410406292
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.
After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780063436121
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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