Thoroughly delightful.
The trio of adorable cats from Purr-im Time! (2023) return to celebrate Passover.
The variously colored kitties prepare by cleaning away all the crumbs (even reaching into a mouse hole, to the consternation of the rodent within), decorating matzah covers, bringing out plenty of food (including matzah balls and gefilte fish), and setting the table and welcoming guests. The seder proceeds as planned, with the kitties dressing as Pharaoh and Moses to reenact the Passover story; an image of Pharaoh enduring the plagues will elicit giggles. Later, the kitties burst into song, enjoy a delectable meal, search for the afikoman, and then bid their guests goodbye before cleaning up. Waldman employs action-packed, upbeat verse; her rhymes are highly descriptive, with delightful catlike twists, as when a visiting kitten sings of the Four Questions, beginning with “Meow-nistanah” (Ma Nishtana)—not exactly standard Hebrew. Exuding joy and enthusiasm, the kitties are the stars of these bright, large-scale illustrations. Though the major aspects of the holiday are named, the author doesn’t explain them, so adults may want to offer additional context to readers unfamiliar with Passover. Still, these cats are having so much fun that many newcomers will eagerly come along for the ride.
Thoroughly delightful. (a note for families, instructions on making a “meow-tzah” cover) (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9781681156736
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
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
Cookie-cutter predictability.
After all the daring escapes in the How To Catch… series, will the kids be able to catch Santa?
Oddly, previous installments saw the children trying (and failing) to catch an elf and a reindeer, but both are easily captured in this story. Santa, however, is slippery. Tempted but not fooled by poinsettias, a good book (attached to a slingshot armed with a teddy bear projectile), and, of course, milk and cookies, Santa foils every plan. The hero in a red suit has a job to do. Presents must be placed, and lists must be checked. He has no time for traps and foolery (except if you’re the elf, who falls for every one of them). Luckily, Santa helps the little rascal escape each time. Little is new here—the kids resort to similar snares found in previous works: netting, lures, and technological wonders such as the Santa Catcher 5000. Although the rhythm falters quite a bit (“How did we get out you ask? / It looked like we were done for. / Santa’s magic is very real, / and I cannot reveal more”), fans of the series may not mind. Santa and Christmas just might be enough to overcome the flaws. Santa and the elf are light-skinned, one of the children is brown-skinned, and the other presents as Asian. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Cookie-cutter predictability. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781728274270
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
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