An enjoyable tale of the marvels of adventuring and the comfort of home.
An abundance of bunnies in the burrow propels one of their number to explore the world beyond.
Everywhere Teetu the bunny looks, there are bunnies. “When he turned left…bunnies. When he turned right…bunnies.” They’re even in his books: “A IS FOR ANTEATER. B IS FOR BUNNY.” When Teetu complains, his mother counsels tolerance, but rambunctious siblings and cousins in one very small space are certainly cause for a burrow breakout. Under “sunlight…starlight…moonlight, [and] flashlight,” Teetu braves a journey filled with new sights that fuel his imagination. Writing and sketching, Teetu creates a book of his own inspired by the curious forest creatures he encounters and the inky, twisty trees that surround them. “B is not only for…bunnies.” The need for a break satiated, Teetu heads back home with some unexpected help and an appreciation for his cozy, albeit bustling, abode and all the many meanings of B. Debut illustrator Lam’s illustrations emulate print techniques and stick to a palette primarily made up of slates, black, and white. His bendy trees that curl into the shapes of animals are visual stimuli for Teetu and readers alike. Elliptical and circular elements recur throughout and occasionally frame Ferry’s text. Accents of red solely adorn the band of bunnies and their belongings.
An enjoyable tale of the marvels of adventuring and the comfort of home. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-285031-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2019
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
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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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