Two curious creatures learn about each other and the world around them in this simple but exceptionally well-crafted story
Friends can be found in the unlikeliest of places when you’re inquisitive enough to look for them!
Seagull and Sea Dragon are both curious, each wondering about what’s down in the deep blue water or up in the light blue sky, respectively. They invent names for what they don’t yet understand—“sea trees” for sea dragons and “sky fish” for sea gulls—eventually admitting their own fears about the unknown. When at last they meet, their made-up names cause confusion at first. But they soon realize they actually have lots of knowledge—about themselves and their own worlds—that they can share with each other. And in the process, they form a friendship based on their common passion—curiosity! Beginning with the endpapers, the luminous artwork, likely digitally created, depicts the pastel colors of the sea gull’s sky and the shadowy depths of the sea dragon’s watery home. Varying perspectives give young readers a bird’s-eye view down to the sea as well as a watery glimpse upward from among the coral and fish. Split-panel spreads give the book a graphic-novel look and feel. Young readers can learn scientific vocabulary such as “coral,” “feathers,” “moon jellyfish,” “flock,” “fins,” and more, encouraging curious first scientists to begin their own information journey.
Two curious creatures learn about each other and the world around them in this simple but exceptionally well-crafted story . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 4, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-2048-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: March 11, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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