This silly romp is sure to elicit giggles while promoting emotional intelligence.
This kid learns to really hug it out.
An unnamed protagonist with black hair and light brown skin watches in surprise as a gray tabby hacks a hairball and announces, “I don’t feel well.” Sympathetic, the kid replies, “Do you want a hug?”—unwittingly initiating the formation of a line of animals in want of a hug. The text is limited to spare dialogue in speech bubbles, and so it is the lively illustrations that largely carry the plot. The first handful of furry friends are gentle, with a dog and a pair of ducks against a pastel watercolor backdrop. As the action escalates, so does the choice of animals, which include a skunk, a porcupine, a bear, and a sneaky tiger who attempts to make a snack out of the tabby. As the obscurity and size of the animals comically escalate, so do the kid’s reactions. Generously, the kid acquiesces to each request despite the personal toll. The kid’s appearance and reactions, however, go from neat through frazzled to full-out disheveled, with frayed hair and stained clothes. Eventually an eclectic ensemble of demanding creatures, complete with a fiery dragon, provokes the beleaguered protagonist to yell, “STOP!” After this eruption, the tabby helps the kid find peace—with a hug, of course. Short and sweet, the book gently guides readers to find balance between helping others while acknowledging their own emotional needs. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 69.4% of actual size.)
This silly romp is sure to elicit giggles while promoting emotional intelligence. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0206-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
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
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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