No skating on thin ice here—it’s a winner.
A girl in a hood glides into a new version of an old story.
Little Red (refreshingly, a winsome child of color) is one dazzling ice skater. Trouble is, her skates are so shabby and tight they might soon keep her from her weekly visits to Grandma’s. Then a pairs competition is announced, with new skates as the prize. New problem: everyone else seems to be partnered up already—Hansel with Gretel, the Dish with the Spoon, for example—or is unsuitable. Red dashes to Grandma’s for ideas. However, the Big Bad Wolf frightens her, and she skates away with lightning speed, nearly taking a nasty spill. Not to worry: Wolf rescues Red, compliments her prowess, and points out his own worn-out skates. Can you guess who’ll be Red’s partner? The day of the event, Wolf terrifies all the other competitors, but he’s redeemed when Red declares they’re a pair. Their spins and twirls leave everyone else in the, er, dust, and Mother Goose is on hand to award them their brand-new skates. Readers up on popular fairy tales and nursery rhymes will savor and chuckle at the sly visual and textual allusions to a host of well-known characters from these familiar childhood tales. The author also humorously works (and twerks) well-known phrases from these stories and rhymes into her text. The colorful retro illustrations are aptly cartoonlike, portraying characters, Red in particular, with large innocent eyes, befitting make-believe, updated protagonists.
No skating on thin ice here—it’s a winner. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-37006-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Pitch-perfect tension and delightful silliness.
The legend of a giant, dangerous duck at Cucumonga Campground looms large.
Young Hector and his family are on vacation. Everything seems pleasant except for the many objects that have gone missing and the warnings Hector keeps receiving. Everyone tells him not to interact with the ducks. Don’t go near them, don’t look at them, and absolutely, positively, do not feed them. To further emphasize the point, “DO NOT FEED THE DUCKS” signs pop up every few feet at the campground. So what does Hector do? He feeds the ducks. They just look so cute and hungry. Amid the many feathers flapping, a large, foreboding shadow suddenly crosses the lake. Colón builds suspense through short, clipped narration. The weather turns ominous, and people flee in terror—it’s…THE QUACKEN! The fearsome, colossal wildfowl has appeared! It’s always one step ahead of Hector until there is no escape. Hector is popped into the duck’s bill like a delicious morsel. But, luckily for Hector, “children taste terrible.” Reminiscent of old, cheesy horror films, this tale will make a hilariously over-the-top read-aloud. Pino ramps up the drama in his illustrations, alternating full-page spreads with graphic novel–like panels and vignettes. Hector and his family are brown-skinned, while other campers are racially diverse.
Pitch-perfect tension and delightful silliness. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 16, 2024
ISBN: 9781665922487
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
