Strikingly illustrated and likely to elicit chuckles.
A grandfather and grandchild’s trip to the local market turns into a showdown with a most insistent insect.
Nanu and the young narrator say “namaste” to Miss Arora at her sari store, “shuprobhaat” to Mr. Banerjee in his noisy rickshaw, and “kem chho” to Mrs. Patel as she hawks fruit. (The aforementioned greetings are listed in the backmatter, with a pronunciation guide.) At the chai stall, just as Nanu is about to take a sip of tea, the child cries out, “Stop! There’s a fly in your chai!” Shooing the insect away doesn’t work, and soon a crowd gathers, and opinions fly: “Maybe he’s thirsty.” “Maybe he likes the masala flavors.” “Maybe he is lost.” Suddenly, the fly—who turns out to be female—introduces herself as Rani Singh, an avid chai lover! She adores chai with biscuits, samosas, and jalebis, and she enjoys watching the rising steam. Nanu counters that he loves his chai with aloo parathas, pakoras, and ladoos; the smell of cinnamon warms him up. Both argue over who loves tea more; it all ends with Nanu gulping down his chai…and Rani Singh. The abrupt, slightly icky conclusion aside, Prahbat’s bright and bold colors showcase a bustling Indian bazaar populated by expressive characters who range in complexion; dynamic font sizes and colors ramp up the fun. With the various greetings, Wadhwani speaks to the linguistic diversity of Nanu and the child’s community—a nice touch.
Strikingly illustrated and likely to elicit chuckles. (glossary, chai recipe) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 24, 2026
ISBN: 9781774880920
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
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 flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts.
In this latest slice in the Food Group series, Humble Pie learns to stand up to a busy friend who’s taking advantage of his pal’s hard work on the sidelines.
Jake the Cake and Humble Pie are good friends. Where Pie is content to toil in the background, Jake happily shines in the spotlight. Alert readers will notice that Pie’s always right there, too, getting A-pluses and skiing expertly just behind—while also doing the support work that keeps every school and social project humming. “Fact: Nobody notices pie when there’s cake nearby!” When the two friends pair up for a science project, things begin well. But when the overcommitted Jake makes excuse after excuse, showing up late or not at all, a panicked Pie realizes that they won’t finish in time. When Jake finally shows up on the night before the project’s due, Pie courageously confronts him. “And for once, I wasn’t going to sugarcoat it.” The friends talk it out and collaborate through the night for the project’s successful presentation in class the next day. John and Oswald’s winning recipe—plentiful puns and delightful visual jokes—has yielded another treat here. The narration does skew didactic as it wraps up: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tough conversation, asking for help, or making sure you’re being treated fairly.” But it’s all good fun, in service of some gentle lessons about social-emotional development.
A flavorful call to action sure to spur young introverts. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063469730
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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