An enjoyable, if slightly unbalanced, story about trying something new.
A nervous but adventurous french fry learns to expand his horizons in Dooley-Panko’s picture book.
Crispy french fry Spud Russet lives in his basket at a restaurant, cozy among his many friends. His dream is to have an adventure someday, but it isn’t until a bowl of creamy aioli dip, smelling of “garlic and sunshine,” lands just outside of his container that he has the opportunity to act. As he strains to see into the bowl, he falls out of his basket and into the aioli, headfirst. His initial reaction is fear, but as he adjusts to his surroundings, he comes to love his new flavors and bask in the awe of his french fry, onion ring, and carrot stick companions. (“I’m not just a regular fry anymore. I’m a fry who’s been on an adventure!”) Even the waitress is impressed. Sometimes, he decides, it is important to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. An enticing story for young readers who may find themselves craving a snack after reading, Dooley-Panko’s debut picture book is playful and happy in tone. The plot could be better developed, given the narrative’s overemphasis on Spud Russet’s success compared to the time spent clarifying his initial fears (and his inevitable fate as he arrives on a restaurant patron’s plate). Shobaru’s illustrations are boldly outlined and colorful, adding quirkiness and character to everyday foods.
An enjoyable, if slightly unbalanced, story about trying something new.Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2025
ISBN: 9798266868304
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions.
Ellis, known for her illustrations for Colin Meloy’s Wildwood series, here riffs on the concept of “home.”
Shifting among homes mundane and speculative, contemporary and not, Ellis begins and ends with views of her own home and a peek into her studio. She highlights palaces and mansions, but she also takes readers to animal homes and a certain famously folkloric shoe (whose iconic Old Woman manages a passel of multiethnic kids absorbed in daring games). One spread showcases “some folks” who “live on the road”; a band unloads its tour bus in front of a theater marquee. Ellis’ compelling ink and gouache paintings, in a palette of blue-grays, sepia and brick red, depict scenes ranging from mythical, underwater Atlantis to a distant moonscape. Another spread, depicting a garden and large building under connected, transparent domes, invites readers to wonder: “Who in the world lives here? / And why?” (Earth is seen as a distant blue marble.) Some of Ellis’ chosen depictions, oddly juxtaposed and stripped of any historical or cultural context due to the stylized design and spare text, become stereotypical. “Some homes are boats. / Some homes are wigwams.” A sailing ship’s crew seems poised to land near a trio of men clad in breechcloths—otherwise unidentified and unremarked upon.
Visually accomplished but marred by stereotypical cultural depictions. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7636-6529-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2014
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