A second-rate story in need of a visual overhaul.
A gorilla child learns to accept an aspect of his physical appearance in this Dutch/Flemish import.
A mother and father gorilla welcome their newborn son into the world. Albert has large feet, something the entire family, even Albert, appreciates—that is, until he grows older and starts to resent them, wishing he had “perfect feet” like his friend Rex, a brown monkey. One day, the two friends get lost in heavy rain while playing in the jungle, and it’s Albert’s large footprints that save the day and lead them home. The author drives the message home when Rex tells Albert: “I wish I had feet like yours. You’re my hero, Albert.” The illustrator, using a palette dominated by the greens of a jungle, anthropomorphizes the family’s world in every way: Baby Albert uses a bottle and plays with human toys and, later, sleeps in a bed. It’s refreshing to see two male characters display affection for each other in a time of need: When Rex gets scared at one point, Albert wraps him in a hug (using those big feet) and comforts him. But at the same time, some readers may be dismayed to see anthropomorphized simians, which have traditionally been used in the U.S. to dehumanize Black people, once again at play in a picture book. The story lacks nuance; as a result, its message of self-acceptance falls flat. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.2-by-19.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
A second-rate story in need of a visual overhaul. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: March 23, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-60537-592-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
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