The wise men were not the only ones who gave gifts to the newborn Jesus. From the smallest bee, who gives beeswax to light the darkness, to the gentlest donkey, who carries Mary to Bethlehem, the creatures each use their own special qualities to protect, shelter, warm, and calm the precious baby. Ward’s (The Tin Forest, below, etc.) inspiration was the traditional French carol “The Friendly Beasts,” the words of which can be found on the final page. Though she keeps the familiar format and rhythm of the verses (“ ‘I,’ said the donkey, shaggy and brown”), she includes animals that are not typically associated with the Nativity. Lion, bear, and mongoose watch over the child, peacock’s bright tail guides travelers during the day, and woodworm ceases making holes in the stall where the baby lies. Oversized pages (11 x 11) allow Ward plenty of space to luxuriate in the glories of her art. The beautifully rendered animals seem capable of stepping off the pages—they have wonderful texture and emotional expression. The liberal use of metallic gold color adds an elegance and warmth to illustrations already rich in color. The two manger scenes where the beasts watch over the unseen child could almost be pages from an illuminated manuscript as they are filled with glowing light. The story is a gentle tribute to the animals’ role in the Nativity, and a reminder that even the smallest and lowliest have gifts to give that are fit for a king. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7613-2408-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Millbrook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2001
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
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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