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CARL'S HALLOWEEN

From the Carl the Dog series

All but extreme fans of the series can pass on this slim title.

In this long-running series of nearly wordless picture books, young Madeleine and her beloved Rottweiler, Carl, set off for a Halloween evening adventure.

The book opens with Madeleine and Carl greeting trick-or-treaters at their front door. While they offer candies to the costumed kids, the girl’s mother is off to the side talking on the phone. Then, per series formula, the mother makes a decision that will make most parents uneasy. “I have to go help Grandma for a little while. You can hand out candy to any children who come.” Once the mother leaves, chubby preschooler Madeleine begins to decorate Carl with beaded necklaces. She then finds a big floppy hat to wear, and off they go into the night, trick-or-treating with abandon and even attending a Halloween party. Vignettes show the two enjoying themselves until it is time to turn toward home. With Madeleine riding on Carl’s back, they make it home right before the mother returns. The mother comments that “next year, you two will be able to go trick-or-treating yourselves.” Although children may wish they had such independence to go off on their own, the reality is that this title may be more an example of what not to do on Halloween night than anything else.

All but extreme fans of the series can pass on this slim title. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-374-31082-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015

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I'M A HARE, SO THERE!

Animated and educational.

A hare and a ground squirrel banter about the differences between related animals that are often confused for one another.

Jack is “no Flopsy, Mopsy, or Cottontail,” but a “H-A-R-E, hare!” Like sheep and goats, or turtles and tortoises, rabbits and hares may look similar, but hares are bigger, their fur changes color in the winter, and they are born with their eyes wide open. As the ground squirrel (not to be mistaken for a chipmunk (even though Jack cheekily calls it “Chippie”) and Jack engage in playful discussion about animals, a sneaky coyote prowls after them through the Sonoran Desert. This picture book conveys the full narrative in spirited, speech-bubbled dialogue set on expressive illustrations of talking animals. Dark outlines around the characters make their shapes pop against the softly blended colors of the desert backgrounds. Snappy back-and-forth paired with repetition and occasional rhyme enhances the story’s appeal as a read-aloud. As the story progresses, the colors of the sky shift from dawn to dusk, providing subtle, visual bookends for the narrative. One page of backmatter offers a quick guide to eight easily confused pairs, and a second turns a subsequent exploration of the book into a seek-and-find of 15 creatures (and one dessert) hidden in the desert. Unfortunately, while most of the creatures from the seek-and-find appear in poses that match the illustrations in the challenge, not all of them are consistently represented. (This book was reviewed digitally with 7-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 53.3% of actual size.)

Animated and educational. (Picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-358-12506-8

Page Count: 32

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

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YOU ARE HOME WITH ME

Instills a sense of well-being in youngsters while encouraging them to explore the natural world.

This reassuring picture book exemplifies how parents throughout the animal kingdom make homes for their offspring.

The narrative is written from the point of view of a parent talking to their child: “If you were a beaver, I would gnaw on trees with my teeth to build a cozy lodge for us to sleep in during the day.” Text appears in big, easy-to-read type, with the name of the creature in boldface. Additional facts about the animal appear in a smaller font, such as: “Beavers have transparent eyelids to help them see under water.” The gathering of land, air, and water animals includes a raven, a flying squirrel, and a sea lion. “Home” might be a nest, a den, or a burrow. One example, of a blue whale who has homes in the north and south (ocean is implied), will help children stretch the concept into feeling at home in the larger world. Illustrations of the habitats have an inviting luminosity. Mature and baby animals are realistically depicted, although facial features appear to have been somewhat softened, perhaps to appeal to young readers. The book ends with the comforting scene of a human parent and child silhouetted in the welcoming lights of the house they approach: “Wherever you may be, you will always have a home with me.”

Instills a sense of well-being in youngsters while encouraging them to explore the natural world. (Informational picture book. 3-5)

Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-63217-224-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Little Bigfoot/Sasquatch

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019

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