A book to be shared again and again.
A merry group shares special experiences on a camping trip.
A just-about perfect day begins when two children—one brown-skinned, one tan-skinned—and a tan-skinned adult marvel at a glorious sunrise and revel in the realization that TODAY is for sharing. Things just get better from there. The family greets the other campers—who are diverse in skin tone and age—and the brown-skinned child waves to a lighter-skinned friend; throughout, this pair can be seen hugging, playing, and holding hands. The campers all play games, hike, share meals, and go boating. The fun continues well into the night as everyone gathers by a campfire to sing songs. The outing turns out to be a warm, memorable one for all concerned, joyfully expressed through bouncy, lilting rhymes (“A hammock is perfect / for dreaming. A chair / is just right for three”). Emphasizing warmth, good feelings, and togetherness, this sweet tale about a most enjoyable excursion makes for a cozy lap-time or group read-aloud. The colorful, exuberant art, both hand-painted and digitally rendered, captures the expansiveness of the outdoors as well as the openness of the campers’ spirits. Adults reading this tale aloud should encourage children to discuss their own outdoor or camping exploits. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A book to be shared again and again. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780823443475
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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