Definitely not garden variety.
Neighboring rabbit gardeners raise remarkably oversized produce.
A fence separates a bespectacled, yellow rabbit’s garden from a bow tie–clad, purple rabbit’s plot. Both anthropomorphic rabbits claim to LOVE carrots. Apparently, they’re experts at growing them, too. The yellow rabbit’s methods involve some sort of chemical fertilizer; the purple rabbit’s horticultural strategy encourages vegetable growth through saxophone music. Both yield results: the gardens produce an astonishing number of carrots (though some appear to be partially eaten). One day, the biggest carrot of all turns up smack dab on the property line. Each rabbit lays claim to the giant root vegetable. They fight over who will dig it up (and how), kicking up a huge cloud of dust in the process. When the dust settles, only a giant carrot top remains. The dejected rabbits team up, descending into the hole beneath the carrot to—quite literally—get to the bottom of things. But what will they find down there? Na’s latest is a humorous tale of garden rivalry told almost entirely through color-coded dialogue (blue for yellow rabbit; purple for purple rabbit). Na smartly employs parallel composition to introduce characters through comics-style panels. Double-page spreads drive the rest of the story, inching the rabbits closer and closer to the carrot in the gutter. Set against grayscale backgrounds, Na’s beautiful, textured illustrations—bright yellows, purples, oranges, and greens—simply pop.
Definitely not garden variety. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-399-55158-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020
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
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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