A wholesome tale that emphasizes camaraderie and finding creative solutions.
In Mitropoulos’ illustrated children’s book, a cast of animal friends use funds from selling food at a farmers’ market to renovate an old playground.
Hardhat-wearing Mouse takes charge of the playground project by arranging everyone into teams and delegating jobs. Kangaroo, Frog, and Kitten are to plant a new flower garden; Bunny, Giraffe and Bear will paint the fence; and Mole, Grasshopper and Cheetah are tasked with cleaning the sandbox. The animals enthusiastically get to work, but unexpected challenges soon arise. When Frog complains that digging holes is hard and messy, Kitten, undaunted, exclaims: “We just need to work harder!” Digging faster, they unfortunately send dirt flying everywhere. Overwhelmed by the leaves and sticks littering the sandbox, the second group also vows to work more intensely. They stack debris into tall piles, but the leaves scatter in a breeze. Meanwhile, Bunny and Giraffe discover that painting a background around Bear’s colorful swirls and stars is challenging. They, too, resolve to work harder, but end up making a big paint-splattered mess. Observing the scene, Mouse realizes the playground is far from finished, and everyone looks tired. “Instead of working harder, let’s try working smarter,” Mouse declares at lunch, and they encourage everyone to find ways to simplify the projects. They do so by using helpful supplies, and by dividing and planning out their work. Early readers will be inspired by the characters’ teamwork and commitment to beautifying an outdoor space. Mitropoulos’ text clearly conveys age-appropriate lessons about setting and completing goals in easy-to-understand language, although some solutions are a bit too convenient. For instance, a notebook to plan a design appears out of nowhere, as does a shed full of supplies. The simple, upbeat story, complemented by Watson’s cute, full-color illustrations of the animals and of sunny scenery, such the bustling market, makes for a fun read-along.
A wholesome tale that emphasizes camaraderie and finding creative solutions.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: July 9, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
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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