An imaginative treat for dogs and humans alike.
Space exploration gets wacky with an unexpected discovery.
Young astronaut Aiko lives by herself aboard Spaceship B-Troot; she travels the universe searching for life. When Aiko spots a new planet, she comes in for a landing. It’s a bumpy ride, but she makes it. She transfers to an octopuslike “exploratory capsule” to safely scope things out. At first, Aiko doesn’t see anything. But when she finds the perfect spot for a selfie and poses to take it, she accidentally falls from a cliff, and the capsule breaks. Alone, Aiko wanders until she gets lost, then falls asleep. The next day, she awakens, surrounded by a bevy of talking pooches—descendants of the “valiant astro-dogs sent into space by humans.” Aiko wants to rush back to Earth to share her discovery. The dogs, still understandably wary of humans, imprison Aiko. But when she proves that she’s trustworthy, they agree to let her go—and Aiko promises not to tell anyone about the planet of dogs. But, as the narrator asks, can readers keep the secret? This French import is a fun spin on what might have happened to real-life space dogs. Buoyed by whimsy and a distinct candy-color palette, Ellegaard’s cartoon illustrations mix full-page spreads and comiclike panels. Aiko, who has pale skin, is delightfully childlike in both appearance and action.
An imaginative treat for dogs and humans alike. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2024
ISBN: 9781646144648
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Levine Querido
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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