by Amy Novesky ; illustrated by Gael Abary ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 12, 2024
Horse lovers, take note: This is a sweet, tender book to ride off into the sunset with.
Climb into the saddle of your imagination.
So you want to ride a horse? Who doesn’t! It’s really quite simple. All you have to do, advises this lovely book that proceeds at the rhythm of a gentle trot, is close your eyes and visualize the horse of your dreams. Think about your horse’s coloring, markings, shoes, and mane—braided or not? Then think of a name. The name’s important because you’ll want to call that horse of yours so you can go for a ride. If you’re ever so lucky, your steed will love you and greet you with “a nicker, a lick, a nudge” and “rest his splendid head on you.” Oh, and don’t forget to “slip him a peppermint,” which you should always carry in your pocket. The text proceeds with suggestions about how to groom horses and keep them clean and how to ride them carefully, safely, and joyously—if only in your mind’s eye. Readers who were already lovers of these gorgeous, wonderful creatures will find their fancies galloping away in delight. Others may well become instant equine converts as they pick up horse lore and facts aplenty and may eagerly trot toward other titles to learn more about their new favorite animals. The soft mixed-media illustrations suggest a landscape of the imagination with their muted palette.
Horse lovers, take note: This is a sweet, tender book to ride off into the sunset with. (information on horses, photos, author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 12, 2024
ISBN: 9780823456956
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
Share your opinion of this book
More by Amy Novesky
BOOK REVIEW
by Amy Novesky ; illustrated by Sara Gillingham
BOOK REVIEW
by Amy Novesky ; illustrated by Julie Morstad
BOOK REVIEW
by Amy Novesky ; illustrated by Brittney Lee
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2021
A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors.
A confused squirrel overreacts to the falling autumn leaves.
Relaxing on a tree branch, Squirrel admires the red, gold, and orange leaves. Suddenly Squirrel screams, “One of my leaves is…MISSING!” Searching for the leaf, Squirrel tells Bird, “Someone stole my leaf!” Spying Mouse sailing in a leaf boat, Squirrel asks if Mouse stole the leaf. Mouse calmly replies in the negative. Bird reminds Squirrel it’s “perfectly normal to lose a leaf or two at this time of year.” Next morning Squirrel panics again, shrieking, “MORE LEAVES HAVE BEEN STOLEN!” Noticing Woodpecker arranging colorful leaves, Squirrel queries, “Are those my leaves?” Woodpecker tells Squirrel, “No.” Again, Bird assures Squirrel that no one’s taking the leaves and that the same thing happened last year, then encourages Squirrel to relax. Too wired to relax despite some yoga and a bath, the next day Squirrel cries “DISASTER” at the sight of bare branches. Frantic now, Squirrel becomes suspicious upon discovering Bird decorating with multicolored leaves. Is Bird the culprit? In response, Bird shows Squirrel the real Leaf Thief: the wind. Squirrel’s wildly dramatic, misguided, and hyperpossessive reaction to a routine seasonal event becomes a rib-tickling farce through clever use of varying type sizes and weights emphasizing his absurd verbal pronouncements as well as exaggerated, comic facial expressions and body language. Bold colors, arresting perspectives, and intense close-ups enhance Squirrel’s histrionics. Endnotes explain the science behind the phenomenon.
A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-3520-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
Share your opinion of this book
More by Alice Hemming
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nancy Leschnikoff
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Hemming ; illustrated by Nicola Slater
by Max Greenfield ; illustrated by James Serafino ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2024
Relatable guidance for nocturnal worriers.
Actor and author Greenfield’s latest picture book follows a child kept awake by anxieties.
The pajama-clad narrator huddles in bed among the blue shadows of a bedroom at night. “Every time I close my eyes, I’m afraid of all the scary stuff I see.” Bright, candy-hued clouds of cartoon images surround the child, lively, disruptive depictions of the what-ifs and exaggerated disasters that crowd out sleep: war (we see the world pop “into a piece of popcorn”), kidnapping (pirates carry away the child’s teddy bear), falling “up” into the sun, tarantulas in the toilet, and a menacing-looking dentist. These outsize insomnia inducers may help readers put their own unvoiced concerns into perspective; after all, what frightens one person might seem silly but understandable to another. Our narrator tries to replace the unsettling thoughts with happy ones—hugging a baby panda, being serenaded by a choir of doughnuts, and “all the people who love me holding hands and wearing every piece of clothing that they own.” But sleep is still elusive. Finally, remembering that there’s a difference between reality and an overactive imagination, the child relaxes a bit: “Right now, everything is okay. And so am I.” Reassuring, though not exactly sedate, this tale will spark daytime discussions about how difficult it can be to quiet unsettling thoughts. The child has dark hair and blue-tinged skin, reflecting the darkness of the bedroom.
Relatable guidance for nocturnal worriers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9780593697894
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
Share your opinion of this book
More by Max Greenfield
BOOK REVIEW
by Max Greenfield ; illustrated by Mike Lowery
BOOK REVIEW
by Max Greenfield ; illustrated by Mike Lowery
BOOK REVIEW
by Max Greenfield ; illustrated by Mike Lowery
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
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.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.