A sweet children’s story about doing kind things for others.
A thoughtful child aims to share candy with a lonely man on the moon in Weisberg and Yoffe’s Halloween-themed illustrated book for young readers.
Jessica is excited for trick or treating, especially on a night with a full moon. She and her older sister, Amy—dressed as a witch and a cat, respectively—walk among the other costumed children until Jessica asks about whether a man lives on the moon and whether that location is made of cheese. “Wouldn’t the man who lives on the moon get tired of eating moldy cheese all the time?” Jessica asks. However, Amy is focused on getting candy. When Jessica gets home, she’s still thinking about the man on the moon; she writes a letter to “men who go to the moon,” asking them to share her sweets with the man up there and also to give him her enclosed witch mask, so he can block out the moon’s brightness and get better sleep. After a few days, Jessica discovers a thank-you note under her pillow and notices that the man on the moon’s penmanship is a lot like Amy’s; older readers are sure to realize that her sibling was paying a lot more attention to Jessica and her questions than the younger sister realized. Weisberg and Yoffe tell the story with enough delicacy that younger readers who believe in such figures as the tooth fairy and Santa Claus may accept the magic of the man in the moon, while older one will realize the real focus of the story is the relationship between two caring siblings. The author varies the amount of text on each page; occasional tricky vocabulary words (parlor, glimpse) may challenge newly independent readers to stretch their skills. Gousios’ full-color illustrations feature strong outlines with softer shades and lines filling in details. Close-up illustrations of Jessica and Amy are especially well executed, but others, such as those set in Jessica’s bare-walled room, feel unfinished.
A sweet children’s story about doing kind things for others.Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 979-8351759968
Page Count: 31
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
