Little readers will feel the warmth of these loving, endearing friends.
Duck is ready for adventure, and Cat is willing to join in the fun.
Exuberance and over-the-top enthusiasm are Duck’s forte, and the little bird’s excitement reaches new heights at a sleepover with Cat. Duck is ready for a jamboree, while Cat is much more laid back and mellow. Cat tries to lull Duck into a restful sleep, but the little one is wired. They hear another creature ready to party, calling “Woo-hoooo!” The two friends search the barn, encountering cows, horses, sheep, and pigs in various stages of slumber. It is little Owlette who is the source of the hoots. Owlette has been playing hide-and-seek with them, greatly enjoying the party night. (Children will easily spot the mysterious guest and will enjoy being steps ahead of Cat and Duck.) Now they are all tuckered out and ready to sleep. Cat and Duck are as delightful as ever in this third outing in the series (Hey Duck!, 2013; Just a Duck, 2015). The interspecies friends, gender unspecified, are thoroughly happy in each other’s company. The tale is told in brief, simply rhymed sentences, with a different typeface for each creature’s part in the conversations. Bramsen’s meticulously drawn illustrations are remarkably tactile and textured. The characters’ expressive facial expressions and body language perfectly enhance the action. There is a pleasing variety of single- and double-page spreads, panels, and vignettes, all in bright, colorful array.
Little readers will feel the warmth of these loving, endearing friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-385-38417-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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
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