A sweet, funny exhortation to dream big.
An adoring otter longs to become an elephant.
Randal lounges on a large rock with his pal Clive, marveling at the majesty of the elephants. Clive is not so impressed, but he listens patiently. When Clive suggests that Randal become one, Randal decides to follow his dream. Randal tells the other otters of his plan and goes to live with the elephants. Randal sends Clive a series of letters, talking optimistically about his new life. The elephants, he reports, play a game with him in which they pretend not to notice him. “It’s hilarious!” Enclosed snapshots make clear the elephants’ total disregard for the eager otter. The other otters decide to visit him, addressing the elephant they feel has “a very Randal quality”; it just looks nonplussed. When they return home, they’re surprised to find Randal there, looking very much like an otter. He explains that being an elephant was “kinda cool, but not as great as he thought it would be.” The next day, Randal and Clive are lounging on their large rock, watching the giraffes. Randal wonders….Gavin’s simple story should be a reminder to children to dive in and explore life. Her lovely illustrations combine realistic depictions of animals with soft colorful backgrounds that suggest watercolors, using body language and posture rather than aggressive anthropomorphization to develop her characters visually. A two-page appendix offers interesting facts about elephants and otters.
A sweet, funny exhortation to dream big. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 5, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-943978-34-2
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Persnickety Press
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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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