A fitting sequel to Freddy’s original adventure, packed with facts accompanied by cheerful illustrations.
Snow, snow, and more snow. What’s a frog to do? Dean’s (Freddy the Frogcaster, 2013) irrepressible amphibian puts his weather-safety skills to good use in this snowy sequel.
After saving the town picnic from a big thunderstorm, Freddy has become known not only for his accurate weather predictions (he has his own “backyard weather station”), but also his disaster preparedness. After school, the cheerful amphibian has a “special job” at the local Frog News Network with broadcasters Sally Croaker and Polly Woggins. On a class field trip to the station, Freddy identifies a winter storm that will soon hit the town of Lilypad. While his friends rejoice in the future snow day, Freddy realizes that the storm will be serious: Lilypad is about to have a blizzard. Freddy is used to preparing for bad weather, so he thinks through everything he and his friends will need for the incoming storm. Freddy’s emergency blizzard kit includes a radio, first-aid kit, water, food, a flashlight, and blankets—and he makes sure that he packs one for Polly Woggins, who will be reporting live from the news van during the blizzard. As Freddy watches the broadcast and the snow comes down, the power goes out, and he has to wait until morning to find out whether his friend is safe and sound. Blizzard preparedness may not seem like an adventurous topic, but Dean keeps the pacing exactly right to create tension without scaring younger readers. Not only are they likely to become involved in the story, they may learn something valuable about blizzard preparation. Cox’s brightly colored illustrations of a variety of humanoid frogs (reminiscent of Muppets) capture the drama. The frequency and size of the images help break up the text, which varies from two sentences to four full paragraphs. Though the style of the story might appeal to very young readers, the content—especially in the helpful science notes included at the end—is more appropriate for a grade school audience.
A fitting sequel to Freddy’s original adventure, packed with facts accompanied by cheerful illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2014
ISBN: 978-1621572541
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Regnery Kids
Review Posted Online: Feb. 27, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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