A bright, busy, and bustling romp of a book.
In Goose’s illustrated children’s book, a family’s cat grows larger as they feed it—and its true identity as a tiger is revealed.
The story begins in a style that brings to mind the works of Dr. Seuss: “We have a cat, / imagine that; / she can fit in / a small-sized hat. We feed her / water and / we feed her fish. / We laid it out on a very big dish.” This narration primarily details the cat’s rapid growth and increased propensity for hunting, and it’s punctuated by lengthy asides from onlooking characters: “Wow, that’s a big dish!” comments a snake in the bushes outside; “Look at the size of that really BIG fish,” says a mouse. The value of the latter interruptions is questionable, but young readers (or adults performing a read-aloud) can easily skip them to improve the pacing without adversely affecting the main story. Kholodniak’s cartoon-style full-color illustrations prove to be delightful from the outset, depicting a loving family (mother, father, sister, and brother) with brown skin and dark hair; they also effectively bring out both the kitten’s wildness and the tiger’s playfulness. Clever visual flourishes, such as using a white typeface to match the exquisitely drawn poured milk, add a sense of variety to the reading experience, as do changes in lighting at various times of day. The book is infused with a sense of mischievous good humor, as in a height chart featuring a kitten, a pig, and a horse. Goose’s offbeat near-rhymes (pairing before and horse, for instance) may be slightly confusing for the target audience; overall, though, the story of the cat’s coming of age and repatriation to the wild is likely to tickle the fancy of many young readers.
A bright, busy, and bustling romp of a book.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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