A neat and tidy look at how messy the art of compromise can be.
The Odd Couple for a new generation.
Dot and Duck have another quarrel to reconcile. Light-skinned Dot—wearing a red-hooded, yellow polka-dot romper—is frustrated with Duck. There’s toothpaste on the bathroom floor, Duck’s bed is a rumpled mess, and Dot can’t stand accidentally stepping on Duck’s scattered toys. The titular phrase is repeatedly muttered and shouted: “How messy!” Annoyed, Dot drags Duck to the beach. It’s much easier to be messy outdoors. Alas, their tendencies follow. Dot prefers everything to be precise while making sand castles (“Neat and tidy. Tidy and trim”), while Duck is, well, the opposite. Sand flies everywhere, and mounds of kelp are piled high. The two argue until Duck shows off sand art, made especially for Dot. Dot is cheered—until they accidentally slip and ruin the art. With wide, imploring eyes, the duo look directly to the audience and ask, “Now what do we do?” Luckily, a creative solution makes the most of both their talents. Pulsating with a visual energy, the art is peppered with splatters, splashes, and comedic pratfalls. Short, exclamatory phrases and expansive white space make this a fun choice for both young independent readers or a group read-aloud. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A neat and tidy look at how messy the art of compromise can be. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 3, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7112-6970-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Happy Yak
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
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
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