This exploration of children in transition reminds readers that change can make even El Cucuy insecure.
Ramón has a frenemy in El Cucuy, an anxious boogeyman.
Nothing is the same since Ramón and his family—and El Cucuy—have moved. The house is different, the night noises are different, and the new school will definitely be different. How can El Cucuy’s howling and growling frighten the boy when there are much scarier things out there? Will the school be too big? Will the kids make fun of how he speaks? Will he make any friends? He misses his old home, and so does El Cucuy—being uprooted is no fun at all. The frenemies take turns reminiscing about the good old days and reminding each other about when they were each brave and strong. Glowing red eyes in the closet? Who cares! Scratching at the window? Nothing a good loud rendition of “Cielito Lindo” can’t overcome. Before anyone can say “boo”—or “¡buuum!”—they’re arm in arm, brave and smiling. Higuera’s back-and-forth dialogue serves to defuse the duo’s mutual fear of the unknown with a point-by-point analysis of each potentially scary scenario. Spanish phrases are peppered throughout (one phrase in error); while there is no glossary, most should be accessible to readers who don’t speak the language. Perdomo’s whimsical illustrations portray El Cucuy as a hairy, fanged-but-cute dumpling of a monster, a far cry from the more anthropomorphic and mega-frightening creature of Mexican folklore.
This exploration of children in transition reminds readers that change can make even El Cucuy insecure. (author's note, illustrator's note) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4445-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2021
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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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
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