Another life lesson neatly packaged in childcentric humor.
Kang and Weyant’s bear pals practice self-regulation in a quest for perfection.
Two bears (one purple, one brown) build a sand castle together on the beach. “Pat pat pat” goes the shovel and bucket as they mold their creation into the right shapes. As the purple bear puts one last shell in place, the brown bear declares that the castle is “perfect.” But the purple bear has another idea: “It needs flags.” They add twigs to the castle’s turrets. Then the brown bear decides the towers could be taller, so—“pat pat pat”—they build some more. Other furry, anthropomorphic characters begin to crowd the beach and offer their creative feedback for additional components. Finally, a gigantic furry creature (seen only as an enormous foot and shin that extends up past the frame of the page) bellows “MOAT!” The bear pals try to accommodate every idea on the exhaustive list as the other animals watch. Eventually, their teamwork pays off with a resulting sand castle that’s big enough to fill a double-page spread. But, wait, is that a wave headed straight for the beach? Uh oh! As with the other books in the You Are (Not) Small series, this entry effectively uses simple dialogue to drive the story. Most text is printed in extra-large type and is easy to read, with plenty of white space and clear lines connecting dialogue to speakers. Weyant’s colorful cartoon illustrations add a lightheartedness to what could be a stressful real-life situation for kids.
Another life lesson neatly packaged in childcentric humor. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5420-1662-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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