In this delightful tale, kindred spirits find happiness together.
A good-natured and caring friend is determined to cheer up lonely Ghost.
Rain is falling on a row of old-fashioned–looking houses as a ghost wearing glasses stares out an attic window. Hanging out in the park, unseen, Ghost remains woeful—no one ever seems to know Ghost is there. A big red balloon—on whom Ghost draws a smiling face—floats by, joining Ghost on the seesaw and for a refreshing serving of ice cream. The two are seemingly compatible, but, alas, the balloon floats away. Ghost searches everywhere, to no avail. When the balloon finally returns to the park and a despondent Ghost, the true intent of its unseen mission becomes happily clear. The balloon has brought back the perfect ghostly companion for Ghost, this one sporting a bow tie. Fluid illustrations bring to life—so to speak—the amorphous main characters, washes of color heightening the emotion. The children playing in the park have a range of skin tones; one child uses a wheelchair, and one wears a hijab. The tale offers plenty of opportunities to spark discussions about friendship and compatibility. Is it their similar appearance that draws the ghosts to each other? Children will enjoy seeing ghosts behaving as nonthreatening, fun-seeking, and peoplelike. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
In this delightful tale, kindred spirits find happiness together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4852-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
A brightly colored monster tale that begs to be animated. Repeat readings required.
How do you deal with an infestation of monsters?
“Winifred Schnitzel was never afraid. / Not of monsters or ghouls or the noises they made.” In fact, young Winifred loves pirates and werewolves and scary movies. This doesn’t stop monsters of all shapes and sizes from trying to scare her, but all of their growling and snarling and menacing is for naught, as Winifred thinks monsters are cute. However, their nightly visits are keeping her awake, so she buys a book (Monsters Beware!) for monster-trapping ideas. The sticky-string trap doesn’t work, and neither does the stinky cheese (they just eat it). She’s so pooped she sleeps through ballet class. Next, she makes every trap in her monster book, and that tuckers her out to such an extent that she’s already snoring when the monsters arrive the next night. She wakes groggily from a dream of kissing puppies and accidentally kisses a monster on the schnozzle—thus discovering every monster’s weakness. Now she dismisses each monster with a kiss and sleeps very well every night. Fredrickson’s jauntily rhyming tale of brave, African-American Winifred is an excellent balm to monster fears. Robertson’s googly-eyed monsters of all shapes and sizes are cartoon-adorable, with just a hint of toothy, clawed ferocity.
A brightly colored monster tale that begs to be animated. Repeat readings required. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1345-0
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
A light touch delivers an increasingly common but important message.
As her name suggests, Itty Bitty Betty Blob is a small, amorphous monster, but that’s not what sets her apart.
It’s Betty’s cheerful demeanor that makes her different from her peers. What kind of monster “rejoice[s] at rainbows” and “dance[s] among the dandelions”? Betty’s pink hue also distinguishes her from her classmates, who are rendered in a black-and-white palette, and makes her stand out in her rather somber, expressionistic setting. Brief, alliterative sentences keep the pages turning as readers learn about her trouble fitting in at school: While the other students faithfully reproduce a still life of dead flowers on a table, hers is a vibrant image of a living, yellow daisy. The crisis comes to a head on picture day. Despite the dreadful outfit her mother selects, Betty can’t grimace fiercely enough. As she travels through the spooky forest to school, the diminutive monster is distracted by a pink puff. Following it, she encounters an entire fluffy community that encourages her to be true to herself. Her frightful frock becomes an extravaganza of flowers. The climax involves a mood transformation for the entire class as puffs emerge from Betty’s dress, tickling everyone as the flash goes off. Children will enjoy the humor in the reversal of expectations around classroom culture—and will be heartened by Betty’s willingness to embrace what makes her different—although subsequent readings don’t yield much more.
A light touch delivers an increasingly common but important message. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: June 4, 2024
ISBN: 9781662640148
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hippo Park/Astra Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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