Prepare for the hearts of your kids to be conquered once and for all.
This book’s rallying cry to “CONQUER EVERYTHING!” will ring true for small warriors-to-be.
Tiny has always been small, but he wasn’t a barbarian until earlier today. While out with his well-meaning parents (who make the mistake of telling him he can be anything he wants when he grows up), young Tiny spots something. An advertisement for a film about a barbarian gives Tiny a purpose. Merrily he constructs his own barbarian outfit—a horned colander is key—and proceeds to lay siege to the dragon (hose), troll (trash can), and giant broccoli (shrub) in the backyard. But fighting monsters during the day is one thing. Can Tiny now overcome his fear of the dark? Or is this the end of his warrior ways? With its joyous battle cries and subtle repeated beats, this story makes for a rollicking read-aloud. Spires imbues Tiny with as much, if not more, personality and vibe as any of the fantastical creatures that dot these pages. Other visual elements, like the dad cooking and taking on bedtime duty, eschew the usual stereotypes. Consider pairing with Great, Now We’ve Got Barbarians, by Jason Carter Eaton and illustrated by Mark Fearing (2017), for a truly tough storytime. Tiny’s dad presents White, and Tiny himself and his mom have slightly darker skin.
Prepare for the hearts of your kids to be conquered once and for all. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-288164-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
The insatiable elder is still ingesting the unpalatable, to kids’ everlasting amusement.
Swallowing a rainbow sets off a series of events that lead to a surprising conclusion.
The title character begins by consuming a cloud—and who hasn’t wished to do that? The cloud is meant to carry the rainbow, but why did she swallow it? The somewhat weak answer: “I don’t know why she swallowed a rainbow. Would you like to know?” The cloud is followed by glitter (kids, don’t try this at home!), then by a cone to catch the glitter, a pole to lift the cone, ribbon to tie the cone, and a horse (“silly, of course”). Then suddenly the lady starts to run, and the items painlessly reappear. The cone becomes a unicorn’s horn, and the unicorn becomes part of a small carousel with golden, beribboned poles and two more matching unicorns, topped with the glitter-sprinkled cloud and the rainbow arching over all. The dame and a half-dozen children stand watching in breathless excitement. As per the astoundingly successful formula, the repetitive text is irresistible and the zany art is more than half the fun. The dame’s head swells to accommodate a mouth capable of the necessary swallowing feats, and her small black dog—whose mouth stretches from ear to nose—is on hand to celebrate key moments. The old lady has pink skin and dark hair, and the children have a range of skin tones.
The insatiable elder is still ingesting the unpalatable, to kids’ everlasting amusement. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781546138525
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug.
What to do when you’re a prickly animal hankering for a hug? Why, find another misfit animal also searching for an embrace!
Sweet but “tricky to hug” little Hedgehog is down in the dumps. Wandering the forest, Hedgehog begs different animals for hugs, but each rejects them. Readers will giggle at their panicked excuses—an evasive squirrel must suddenly count its three measly acorns; a magpie begins a drawn-out song—but will also be indignant on poor hedgehog’s behalf. Hedgehog has the appealingly pink-cheeked softness typical of Dunbar’s art, and the gentle watercolors are nonthreatening, though she also captures the animals’ genuine concern about being poked. A wise owl counsels the dejected hedgehog that while the prickles may frighten some, “there’s someone for everyone.” That’s when Hedgehog spots a similarly lonely tortoise, rejected due to its “very hard” shell but perfectly matched for a spiky new friend. They race toward each other until the glorious meeting, marked with swoony peach swirls and overjoyed grins. At this point, readers flip the book to hear the same gloomy tale from the tortoise’s perspective until it again culminates in that joyous hug, a book turn that’s made a pleasure with thick creamy paper and solid binding.
Watching unlikely friends finally be as “happy as two someones can be” feels like being enveloped in your very own hug. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-571-34875-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
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