A fanciful tale with practical guidance for protecting our planet.
A picture-book parable on environmental stewardship.
“Usually I don’t talk to strangers on the street,” says Lalo, a sailor. But our hero makes an exception upon encountering a talking goldfish in a fishbowl atop a pile of trash. Befitting her bright red color, her name is Rosa, and she longs for “a better life.” To fulfill this wish, Lalo takes Rosa on a global journey, but everywhere they go—a pond, a mountaintop, the Arctic, the jungle, the desert, the River Seine, the beach—they find empty, plastic water bottles, symbolic of broader environmental degradation. “We wondered where all of them came from,” says Lalo on a climactic spread showing the pair in a rowboat on a body of water choked by bottles. The following wordless spread depicts them watching aghast as people lug water bottles from a store; then they join not people but several anthropomorphic animals in cleaning up the ubiquitous litter. In their efforts, they encounter a garden gnome who finally gives Rosa a new home on his fantastically pristine property, and Lalo closes the story with a refreshing glass of tap water. (Fine-print warnings tell readers not to free goldfish in waterways and to ensure tap water’s potability.) Yayo blends attractive visuals, a sense of whimsy, and sound lessons on environmentalism. Human characters have skin the white of the page.
A fanciful tale with practical guidance for protecting our planet. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781990598234
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Tradewind Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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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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