An energetic and engaging tale that introduces French phrases to English speakers.
In Joannides’ illustrated children’s book, an adventuresome brother-sister duo learns French while helping a lost flamingo find his way to a shrimp festival.
Meli and Mac, two pale-skinned, English-speaking siblings, plan to travel with their family to France. One day, bored of studying French, Mac proposes that they go on one of their signature expeditions. The pair pack up and head to Serendipity Forest and up a tree, where they encounter a “very chic but weary looking flamingo” from France. The flamingo, Freddie, got lost on his way to a “Shrimp Extravaganza”—the biggest shrimp-eating festival for flamingos—because he struggled to read the English on the road signs. He’s been flying for days with no shrimp or algae to give his feathers their signature pink hue. Meli and Mac decide to help him and, armed with their “magic map,” they make it to his destination. The siblings enjoy themselves at the festival, catching shrimp for Freddie before they return home, where Mac resumes studying French. Joannides’ text is lively and entertaining with a clear storyline that young readers will enjoy. Ende’s full-color, painterly illustrations add to the story, and French phrases are peppered throughout with footnoted translations to encourage youngsters to learn new words. One drawback is that the focus on the French language may somewhat limit its accessibility for readers who are unfamiliar with French pronunciation. However, the book’s focus on the importance of multilingualism for cultural understanding is one that many will find refreshing.
An energetic and engaging tale that introduces French phrases to English speakers.Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2023
ISBN: 9781839527265
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Brown Dog Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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