Despite a few puzzlements, a very appealing animal story.
In this debut board book, two children discover that a scary lion just wants to make friends.
Tom and his sister, Lily, both pale-skinned, live in a village where a “Great Big Lion” roars each morning, sending the people running for shelter—everyone but the siblings. They love to hear the lion’s roar and spy on him. But one morning, the animal doesn’t appear and the siblings search everywhere for him without success. Resting by a tree, they hear a purr and learn that the lion is hiding because it seems the villagers don’t like him. He knows they are frightened, but he wishes to be friends. Hearing this, Tom and Lily give the lion a hug and he lets out a happy roar. A note explains that Knight wrote this book when she was 3 years old and, with her mother’s help, illustrated it. The story has good read-aloud potential with a giant ROAR on several pages and the use of simple phrases (“High and Low”; “Left and Right”; “Up and Down”) during the search for the lion, who is a darling. Some images, such as the lion, huts, and a tree, employ a lovely collage technique that combines rich, swirling paint and what looks like torn scraps of plain and patterned fabric. The human figures, more childishly drawn, are less skillful. In addition, it’s strange that mostly white kids reside in this village of African-looking huts and lions.
Despite a few puzzlements, a very appealing animal story.Pub Date: Jan. 24, 2018
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 13
Publisher: Tale House Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
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BOOK REVIEW
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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