The Stanleys are back from Italy (The Famous Stanley Kidnapping Case), more-or-less resettled in the Westerly House (The Headless Cupid)—where David, a shaky 13, doesn't know what to make of family-fantasizer Blair's nightly jaunts to see a dog in the yard. . . or how to deal with hulking, taunting classmate Pete Garvey. Adolescing stepsister Amanda is an enigma too—admiring Pete's physique, punching him out to protect David, looking sympathetic? pitying? And why does Pete start hanging around? But the problem that grows ever-bigger is Blair's dog. Dad and stepmother Molly quarrel over his clamp-down on Blair's "fantasizing." Six-year-old Blair's twin Esther, and resident-snoop Janie, huddle with him. A neighbor's smokehouse is broken into—only maybe by two escaped cons. On a spooky night—when the cons have just resurfaced, and Dad and Molly are out—the older children discover one thing at least: there is a real dog, a monstrous, gentle Irish wolfhound, whom the little children have named Nightmare. Further sleuthing by Janie (who spotted the breed in a book) explains his old bullet-wound and his fear of grown men: guard-dog training, by a vicious owner. All the more reason, then, to conceal Nightmare from Dad—who's already vetoed the idea of a dog, who'll feel obliged to contact the owner. The ensuing conspiracy is an all-hands, full-time operation. Nightmare spends nights with Blair and David, behind a warily locked door. (Once, Molly does demand admittance.) Days, he disappears—where? Massive as he is, he must be massively fed—hence the kibble caper. Then, for a couple of nights, he doesn't show up; Blair steals off to search for him; David finds both of them—turning up the fugitive cons (sick, dejected), bringing them in, becoming an embarrassed/ pleased hero. Amanda has made her new sisterly feelings known. Pete, confiding his (transparent) interest in Amanda, tells the still-droopy David not to confuse fighting and courage. As for Nightmare, you know Dad won't be able to resist his oversized appeal, his part in the heroics, or Molly's good-natured teasing. ("How could an imaginary dog be a burden?") The family mix continues to work its charm, the personalities to unfold independently—with more to be seen or heard, it appears, of Blair's elusive friend Harriet.
Pub Date: March 9, 1984
ISBN: 0375895159
Page Count: 196
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1984
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.
Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.
This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.
Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-93809-0
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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