Don’t be lazy—read this entertaining tale of an aimless yet relatable trio.
Procrastination gets you nowhere.
Birds start taking off from their forest dwellings in autumn, but three unnamed lazy members of the flock would prefer not to fly off. They’d rather hang around and sleep instead—and they awaken to find themselves wet and freezing as winter sets in. To combat the cold, the trio don winter coats like humans. The coats keep them warm but prevent them from flying. The next plan is to wait out the winter underwater, like fish. That probably would have worked if it weren’t for the pesky issue of breathing. In a last-ditch attempt, the birds take a lesson from the bears and try to hibernate, settling inside a hole in a tree. It seems to work for a bit, but boredom sets in, and the birds finally decide to fly south to join everyone else. When they arrive, their flock is making plans to fly north again, as winter is coming to the Southern Hemisphere. Translated from Spanish, this is an amusing story of procrastination—and perhaps a gentle reminder to readers of all ages just how hard we work at times to be lazy. The cartoon illustrations are bold enough that librarians and educators will happily share this book during storytimes and read-alouds. Caregivers and educators will appreciate the doors this book opens regarding topics such as seasonal change, animal habits, and migration. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Don’t be lazy—read this entertaining tale of an aimless yet relatable trio. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-77147-536-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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
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
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