by Yossi Lapid illustrated by Joanna Pasek ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 31, 2017
Entertaining, well-structured, and beautifully illustrated—a winner.
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A snowman and his pals celebrate Halloween in this illustrated children’s book.
In this sixth entry in Lapid and Pasek’s (The Amazing Snowman Duel, 2017, etc.) Snowman Paul series, the eponymous roly-poly, carrot-nosed hero joins several friends as they approach a two-story treehouse decorated with jack-o’-lanterns—and warning signs. Warning No. 1, for example, begins “Don’t dare come near this tree house. / Don’t even risk a glance.” The first danger is aliens that might take you to outer space; the second, a witch who will turn you into a mouse; the third, a kidnapping dragon; the fourth, a grouchy ghost. (The roles of witch, dragon, and ghost are played, respectively, by a little red-haired girl, Snowman Paul himself, and a pointy-eared dog.) Having passed these dangers, Paul and friends have a Halloween treehouse party, playing games, singing songs, telling stories, and getting themselves deliciously spooked. Lapid has an excellent ear, and his verse consistently scans well, offering a well-judged blend of Halloween-y suspense and reassuring, gentle humor. The story has plenty of energy, fun, and bounce. Pasek’s fine illustrations are a perfect match, with soft colors and rounded edges; another plus is the racial diversity shown among the kids. The images boost the story, letting readers see the sweet personalities underneath the oh-so-scary costumes.
Entertaining, well-structured, and beautifully illustrated—a winner.Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2017
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 22
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Dan Saks ; illustrated by Brooke Smart ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2020
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
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by Loren Long & illustrated by Loren Long ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2009
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
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