With plenty of books about imaginary animals and real pets to choose from, steer away from this one.
Sir Tim is looking for a dragon and won’t take no for an answer.
A little boy with a toy helmet, a shield design on his sweater, a red cape, and a dragon book heads to the neighborhood pet store to find such an animal, even though his mother tells him: “I don’t think they sell dragons at the pet shop, you know.” The friendly shopkeeper tries to persuade Tim that he might like a turtle, saying: “A turtle is green like a dragon.” Tim rejects the turtle as too slow. When offered a rabbit (known for speed), Tim avers: “No, a rabbit isn’t dangerous enough.” He is also disdainful of the mouse offered by the man, who says, “A mouse has sharp teeth, just like a dragon, and it’s fast, too.” Each time Tim uses the refrain: “I want a DRAGON!” Disappointed, Tim and his mother start to walk away until the shopkeeper brings out a puppy, who just happens to be named Dragon (or so the store owner says). After a friendly lick, Tim too quickly gives up his objections and embraces this new pet. Although the loosely sketched and painted illustrations have a pleasant childlike naiveté, the story is both lackluster and hard to believe. All the characters in this Dutch import are white.
With plenty of books about imaginary animals and real pets to choose from, steer away from this one. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: July 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-60537-369-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018
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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