Sweet and reassuring as a self-esteem booster.
A timid field mouse musters her courage.
Shy Mousetta walks backward so she won’t be seen. She hides everywhere she can; compared to the popular field mice, she’s “mousey.” She decides to attend an anti-shyness workshop after reading a newspaper ad, but first, she dons a bucket “for extra protection.” Upon her arrival, the instructor dubs her “Bucket Head.” Mousetta isn’t alone in depending on a head covering: Other participants are welcomed as “Lampshade Head,” “Wastebasket Head,” and “Blankey Head.” Before the session commences, the emergency siren and loudspeaker warn of fox sightings. Mousetta and fellow students stand frozen in fear…until she summons her loudest voice and urges them to “hold paws and CHARGE!” as one against the encroaching enemy—backward. Surprise! The foxes look at these odd-looking creatures and turn tail immediately. Afterward, Mousetta removes her bucket, checks out her fellow fox fighters carefully—after they’ve doffed their own headgear—and discovers something very unexpected about them. A town parade, in which Mousetta is hailed as a hero, ensues. This cute, humorous story, promoting the idea that shyness isn’t a flaw, could embolden skittish youngsters; the point is made that, for some, bravado might mask fearfulness. The adorable watercolor illustrations are lively; the murine characters are full of personality. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sweet and reassuring as a self-esteem booster. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-9349-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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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