Whoo needs friends? Tips from this owl protagonist may help children learn how to make them.
Even a wise owl has plenty to learn.
Merlin the owl searches for potential friends in the woods. Attempting to join several flocks of birds, i.e., butting into their conversations without invitation, the owl brags brazenly (“I tell the best stories!”). The others don’t give a hoot and fly away. Alone, Merlin proclaims, “I DON’T NEED FRIENDS!” and tries to make a case for why friends are a drawback: They’re noisy, Merlin dislikes sharing, and flying alone affords “true freedom.” Of course, friends do provide comfort in a rainstorm…and rain brings out “juicy worms.” Said worms set the stage for a friendship story in which Merlin discovers that niceties such as helping, offering compliments, taking an interest in others, and even telling a joke can help forge bonds with others. This cute, gently humorous tale’s ending feels rushed and doesn’t add anything new to the crowded field of making-friends stories. However, it will arouse empathy and is worth sharing with youngsters spreading their own wings and feeling uncertain about developing social relationships. The guide to making friends at the end of the book will reassure children as well. The illustrations, rendered in ink, colored pencil, and digital collage, are bright, lively, and expressive; Merlin is a feisty character. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Whoo needs friends? Tips from this owl protagonist may help children learn how to make them. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9781984813695
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
