Delightful discoveries await readers’ attention in this zany Yuletide offering.
Anthropomorphic animals seize the spotlight in this fun take on the familiar carol.
They’re all here: lords and ladies, pipers, drummers, maids, and so many fowls. The “true loves” are fluffy white bears dressed in Edwardian-style clothing, exchanging gifts in a very cozy parlor with a glowing fireplace. They hang golden pears on a pine tree topped with a partridge ornament; on the second day of Christmas, they smile over a live partridge in an ornate cage with the two turtle doves. The third day features a music-box partridge in a golden pear tree, two more doves, and a trio of aproned French hens sweeping and dusting; sharp-eyed readers will observe a different partridge-and-pear-tree item on every subsequent page. The hens and turtle doves multiply and are joined by pelicans, ostriches, green parrots, swans, and more. Mammals arrive for the festivities: One spread features feline milkmaids; another, raccoon milkers. Dogs, then pigs, then turtles, join the fray as drummers. Glowing with jade green and ruby red, Lockwood’s illustrations initially feel like vintage Christmas postcards. As more and more animals are added, the well-ordered setting becomes joyfully frenetic: One of the bears makes ice cream out of the abundant milk and eggs, supplementing the pastries prepared earlier. A final page lists the gifts packed into these sumptuous pages of organized chaos—and many other hidden treasures are not listed.
Delightful discoveries await readers’ attention in this zany Yuletide offering. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2024
ISBN: 9781612546995
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Brown Books Kids
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
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