A dash of Chicken Little combined with a pinch of that classic childhood game Telephone is a recipe for success in this boisterous tale of miscommunication. When the goggle-eyed goose rushes to tell the barnyard animals that a wolf is coming, the story gets twisted, warped, and generally misconstrued until the panicked creatures are in a frenzy of confusion. Meres’s crafty wordplay is hilarious. “ ‘What’s that? There’s a whopping bad wolf and he’s wearing a wig?’ cried the jittery jay, tail flicking. ‘What’s that? He’s shopping mad and he’s scaring a pig?’ cried the harried hedgehog, prickles prickling.” Like the sly wolf in Jan Fearnley’s Mr. Wolf’s Pancakes (not reviewed), this villainous wolf has a trick up his sleeve. As the barnyard frenzy reaches a fevered pitch, a very young, innocuous-looking wolf appears at the door . . . with his big, bad dad. This surprise ending is good for a shriek and a laugh. Some of East’s illustrations, while very funny, definitely appeal more to an adult sense of humor. After all, not many three-year-olds can savor the irony of a leather-bedecked wolf atop a motorcycle or that same wolf in a poofy pink wig wielding a hair dryer in a beauty parlor. Despite the fact that the subtler humor may elude them, preschoolers will pick up on the inherent silliness of the comical pictures and enjoy the escalating outrageousness of the tale. An exuberant read-aloud that’s sure to generate gales of giggles. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-531-30292-X
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2000
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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