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MR. MOUTHFUL AND THE MONKEYNAPPERS

A clever story with a verbose main character who learns to listen to kids.

Awards & Accolades

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A loquacious hero and his primate companion return in Kimble’s comical children’s book sequel.

Mr. Mouthful, a tall, bowler cap–wearing man, is a fan of big words. Joined by his monkey friend, Dupree, he’s out and about as the pair show off their fancy duds. The duo look like they’re putting on a parade, so two local children, Lucy and Jojo, join in, dancing along with Dupree. A hole in the path marks an end to the children’s fun—Mr. Mouthful warns them to watch their step, but, using big words, he takes too long to explain, and plop, down they trip. As the dancing continues, more kids join, soon meeting similar fates (Desmond and Molly crash into a bucket of paint). When the duo arrive at a soccer game, Dupree nabs the ball—and some monkeynappers nab him. The kids join Mr. Mouthful in trying to rescue Dupree; while Mr. Mouthful shouts “Unhand him, unhand him, you scoundrels, or I’ll have to summon the law,” the kids take action, using fruit boxes and snacks to get the bad guys to give up their friend. If there’s a moral to the story, it’s that big words can get in the way of decisive action—but the author seems more interested in introducing ridiculous, anachronistic words to young readers to prevent them from becoming frightened of unfamiliar vocabulary. The rhythmic sentences sometimes include internal rhymes, and the ten-cent words make for a fun read-aloud. While some words may require a dictionary (“Disport, disport. Strut your stuff”), most are readily understandable from the context. Bell’s brightly colorful cartoon illustrations feature huge-eyed characters with big, round heads and capture the chaotic energy of the adventure. The cast of children varies in hue, shape, ability (one child wears glasses), and size, and bicyclists are shown using good safety skills by wearing their helmets. When the kids end up as the heroes, teaching Mr. Mouthful that sometimes actions take precedence over words, young readers should cheer along.

A clever story with a verbose main character who learns to listen to kids.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Manuscript

Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2024

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

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

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PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among

Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.

If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018

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