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FIGLEY VS. THE MOOKLING HAT

Name: FIGLEY VS. THE MOOKLING HAT
Author: Suzanne Cotsakos
ISBN: 978-0-69210-632-7

by Suzanne Cotsakos & Ryan McCulloch ; illustrated by Ryan McCulloch ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 23, 2018

A valuable message about finding “something that makes you unique.” (Picture book. 4-8)

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Figley, an opossum/cow/finch hybrid, faces a choice. Follow the latest “fashion craze” to avoid being “a laughing stock,” or find the courage to stand out.

Ever since Queen Contessa started wearing a duck-moose creature called a “mookling” on her head, the fantastical residents of Mutasia have been sporting them, too. In fact, “everyone on Mutasia [has] a mookling hat…except Figley.” With Billie Twinklecorn’s party only hours away, and the stores “sold out” of the trendy headgear, Figley feels pressured to catch his own mookling. His attempts leave him sitting, wet and dejected, in a “swampy pond,” and he arrives at the party in a “silly, squishy…squonk hat.” This one-of-a-kind, donkey-squid cap boosts Figley’s confidence and inspires everyone there to be “just like Figley!” Primarily a story centered on instilling a strong sense of self in readers who may be anxious about being different or fitting in, this tale may have some older readers connecting to its other ideas, such as the importance of creative problem-solving, the influence of peers, and the outcomes associated with blindly following fads. Vibrant and boldly colored cartoon illustrations that cover the entire page draw readers into Figley’s world. Just don’t read too much into the fact that this “mixed-up mix” of imaginative animals exploits a menagerie of other, smaller, perhaps endangered critters in the name of style.

A valuable message about finding “something that makes you unique.” (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-69210-632-7

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Mutasian Entertainment

Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

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FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)