An adorable hamster, a fire engine, and fireworks: high preschooler appeal.
Stanley the hamster and friends show the parts and uses of his fire engine.
Bee’s hamster is back again, this time using his fire engine to help friends and assist with a fireworks display. Stanley’s truck itself might look a bit unfamiliar to little readers, as it isn’t a modern shiny vehicle but rather a 1940s version used in Great Britain, with a wooden ladder and large wheel that ratchets it up protruding from the rear. In a 90-degree turn sure to delight little ones, readers see Stanley atop the wooden ladder, its gears and wheel on display. Together with his chipmunk friend Peggy, Stanley uses the fire engine for kid-friendly activities, such as rescuing kites from a tree, filling a baby pool, and standing by at a fireworks show. In fact, the only real mention of firefighting is when mouse friend Charlie’s barbecue goes awry. Bee’s illustrations, familiar to Stanley fans, are simply wrought, black-outlined images mostly presented against white backgrounds. The two layouts that vary stand out as a result: the bursting fireworks against a dark blue sky and Stanley’s nighttime arrival at home, a blue-washed scene with a gorgeous glowing lantern. Both will earn a lingering look of awe from readers.
An adorable hamster, a fire engine, and fireworks: high preschooler appeal. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-214-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
Sure to have little ones giggling.
Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”
Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.
Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250814388
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end.
Something is preventing Owl from falling asleep.
Owl leans back against his white pillow and headboard. “Squeek!” says something underneath the bed. Owl’s never heard that sound before, so he fastens his pink bathrobe and answers the front door. Nobody. It must be the wind; back to bed. Bidding himself goodnight, he climbs into bed—and hears the noise again. Time after time, he pops out of bed seeking the squeaker. Is it in the cupboard? He empties the shelves. Under the floor? He pulls up his floorboards. As Owl’s actions ratchet up—he destroys the roof and smashes the walls, all in search of the squeak—so does his anxiety. Not until he hunkers down in bed under the night sky (his bed is now outdoors, because the house’s roof and walls are gone), frantically clutching his pillow, does he see what readers have seen all along: a small, gray mouse. In simple illustrations with black outlines, textured coloring, and foreshortened perspective, Pizzoli plays mischievously with mouse placement. Sometimes the mouse is behind Owl or just out of his sightline; other times, the mouse is on a solid, orange-colored page across the spread from Owl, which removes him from Owl’s scene in a rather postmodern manner. Is the mouse toying with Owl? Who knows?
A funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 19, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-1275-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
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