Trying new things can be hard, but it’s worth it (except maybe not furry algae).
A finicky anteater learns that tastes sometimes change.
With a long, stretchy tongue, Andy loves to slurp ants—but never any other food. Ants taste amazing. Why would Andy eat anything else? Andy also likes trucks: tow trucks, cement trucks, dump trucks…only trucks. When pal Sam invites Andy over for a sleepover at the Sloths’ house, Andy can’t wait. But shockingly, Sam’s room is filled with spaceships. There is not a single truck to be found. Andy soon realizes that spaceships are similar to trucks—but in space! Even better. At the dinner table, Andy is in for another surprise. The Sloths don’t eat ants (in fact, Sam is allergic); instead they eat grubs. With eyes squeezed tight in determination (and fear), Andy sticks out his long tongue and slurps. Grubs aren’t bad! He has learned that he can try new things. Awan builds Andy’s personal discoveries one atop the other, with a steady pace, culminating in a triumphant victory dance—until the furry algae dessert. “Wait. What?” Humorous details in the art will add to the guffaws. Mrs. Sloth of course drives incredibly slowly, happily oblivious to the traffic piling up behind her and the tortoise jogger that passes her; both ants and grubs sport tiny eyes as they crawl or squirm about the plates. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Trying new things can be hard, but it’s worth it (except maybe not furry algae). (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-324-01659-5
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Norton Young Readers
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
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
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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