A spellbinding love letter to rural America—and a reminder to look more closely at the world around us.
A rural family takes part in a nightly ritual.
As the sky darkens, the family tinkers with a rusty old car. After securing the titular couch to the car’s roof, they drive over “the gravelly roads… / up in the mountains, down by the hollow,” to a field of old abandoned vehicles. With a little love and magic, their car takes flight over the open space, where they’re bathed in the light of “a moon that is wondrous, / that will never break” and gaze at the fog, “which hugs the mountain like cozy bedsheets.” After their nightly trek is complete, they return to their humble abode filled with love. Inspired by nightly drives with her family in Appalachian Ohio, Hoefler tenderly pays tribute to an area whose inhabitants are often misunderstood or looked down upon. Using a “House That Jack Built” format, she finds beauty in things many would overlook, like “the field with the school bus surrounded by sheep.” Quotidian details mingle with the strange and surreal, with captivating results. With a shimmering, impressionistic flair, Seiferling’s digital illustrations add texture to the deep blues and blacks of the nocturnal setting. Author’s and illustrator’s notes further emphasize the importance of finding meaning in the simple and everyday. Most of the family members are tan-skinned and present East Asian; one child is darker-skinned.
A spellbinding love letter to rural America—and a reminder to look more closely at the world around us. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780823456758
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Neal Porter/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
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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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