An endearing tale of kindness, bravery, and a surprising friendship.
A trio of young monsters meets a grouchy king in this picture book.
One-eyed, forlorn King Spallenzairek lives alone in Castle Zair, far from the kingdom below where three young monsters—Taft, Barkley, and Spur—enjoy playing soccer. Their parents warn them to stay away from the monarch (nicknamed “King Rek”), who “eats little monsters for snacks!” But one day, the three feel adventurous and take their soccer game to the “grassy grounds” of Castle Zair. When the ball soars “through an open castle window,” it hits King Rek and knocks “his royal crown right off.” He angrily confronts the youngsters, who apologize. To their surprise, King Rek smiles and explains that he feels sad because “everyone thinks I’m mean, but I’m really not. I just look like a scary monster.” He even joins them in a rousing game on the castle grounds. The young monsters can’t wait to tell their parents that the king isn’t so bad after all. They are pleased to have made an unexpected pal. Rae’s quirky fantasy offers an essential lesson about eschewing stereotypes and giving newcomers a chance. The engaging tale also exemplifies extending compassion and welcoming those who are dissimilar, as the young characters notably disregard assumptions and judgments based on the king’s appearance. G.’s charming illustrations feature bright scenes with cheerful backdrops where the green, yellow, and blue fuzzy monsters play soccer. The images include vivid details, including forests and brick dwellings.
An endearing tale of kindness, bravery, and a surprising friendship.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-73239-060-7
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Sunny G Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...
The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.
The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.
Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
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)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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