Don’t pass on the chance to read this one to kids—say, at an upcoming party.
Looking to plan a shindig?
The pale-skinned, bespectacled, auburn-haired young narrator has some advice on who not to invite. The child, who’s hosting a party, demonstrates the riotous disasters that ensue when some unusual invitees show up. The titular pirate, brown-skinned and green-haired, brings along her parrot (who steals the gifts). Next, a dragon arrives. “Never, ever, ever ask a dragon to a party,” advises the narrator. “She’ll frighten the pirate and get caught in the streamers.” Plus, the dragon isn’t house trained. Soon, a unicorn arrives, turns up his nose at the steaming mess left by the dragon, and demands a bath. Then a group of aliens fly in and wolf down all the food. The narrator is forced to send the out-of-control guests packing. But without guests, there’s no one to play or share cake with, there aren’t presents—and it’s VERY quiet. Our guide offers some new advice: Open the door and re-invite the guests, who promise to behave this time. At last, a perfect party—until a very large, perhaps uninvited, attendee arrives. Now what? This rollicking U.K. import will have kids giggling and probably hoping for a few of these guests to show up at their own parties. There’s a hint of Laura Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (1985), illustrated by Felicia Bond, here as well. The colorful illustrations are dynamic, celebratory fun.
Don’t pass on the chance to read this one to kids—say, at an upcoming party. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 2, 2024
ISBN: 9798887770758
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
As ephemeral as a valentine.
Daywalt and Jeffers’ wandering crayons explore love.
Each double-page spread offers readers a vision of one of the anthropomorphic crayons on the left along with the statement “Love is [color].” The word love is represented by a small heart in the appropriate color. Opposite, childlike crayon drawings explain how that color represents love. So, readers learn, “love is green. / Because love is helpful.” The accompanying crayon drawing depicts two alligators, one holding a recycling bin and the other tossing a plastic cup into it, offering readers two ways of understanding green. Some statements are thought-provoking: “Love is white. / Because sometimes love is hard to see,” reaches beyond the immediate image of a cat’s yellow eyes, pink nose, and black mouth and whiskers, its white face and body indistinguishable from the paper it’s drawn on, to prompt real questions. “Love is brown. / Because sometimes love stinks,” on the other hand, depicted by a brown bear standing next to a brown, squiggly turd, may provoke giggles but is fundamentally a cheap laugh. Some of the color assignments have a distinctly arbitrary feel: Why is purple associated with the imagination and pink with silliness? Fans of The Day the Crayons Quit (2013) hoping for more clever, metaliterary fun will be disappointed by this rather syrupy read.
As ephemeral as a valentine. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5247-9268-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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