A whimsical, luminous romp.
A young child frolics by the seashore with a strikingly beautiful bird.
One morning, a tan-skinned, curly-haired youngster spots a great blue heron (an uncommon species whose inclusion will interest young readers) through the window. Decorations adorning the bedroom make it clear that the protagonist has long wished for an encounter like this one. After the child approaches slowly, “echoing Blue’s stillness,” the pair spend the day chasing, shrieking, and doing some tastefully depicted skinny-dipping, all sensorily described with a “swoosh, swoop, and quiet settle.” Graceful and oversize Blue isn’t overly anthropomorphized, making the duo’s interactions feel fittingly “wild” and “free.” When night arrives, Blue flies away but grants the hopeful child’s wish by returning to carry the little one high in the indigo sky, “over campfires and shooting stars.” Back home at last, the child hugs a stuffed heron and begins to “dream of meeting again.” The poetic, evocative narrative captures a potent mix of excitement and yearning that may leave readers wondering whether the extraordinary journey really took place or whether it was only in the bird-loving child’s imagination. Kaufman boldly leaves it to readers to decide. No matter what they choose, her illustrations are delightful. Her compositions are masterful, with whimsically sketchy sun-dappled daytime vignettes of the friends in the fizzy surf contrasting with ethereal, star-studded double-page spreads that feel appropriately endless.
A whimsical, luminous romp. (Picture book. 3-9)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780316311663
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
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
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