A useful tool for introducing a difficult topic to young readers.
A wolf in bird’s clothing tricks an innocent canary in this rhyming picture book about trafficking.
Nicolette is a young canary in Kiev, Ukraine. Instead of spending time with her family, she strives to be cool, making TikTok videos and going on adventures, bemoaning the fact that she has to do chores. When she complains to her friends and reveals her dreams of traveling, a wolf listens. When the wolf, dressed in a mask to look like a fellow bird, offers Nicolette a trip to America in exchange for work, she jumps at the chance. But the wolf is up to no good: “The Big Bad Wolf waited patiently and pretended until they got to their destination. / Nicolette had no idea of his true expectation.” Forced into servitude, Nicolette finally escapes by fleeing to the police, who send her home to her family. Mehlman-Orozco, a criminologist, opens with a lengthy note to parents, advising them to read the tale with their children. The author suggests that adults should use familiar story examples of villains who pretend to be good to explain how victims are tricked. The uneven rhymes that follow are laid out in text blocks, making the scansion hard to follow. Rodic’s illustrations featuring subdued tones and an animal cast give readers some distance from the story’s scary parts. But the inclusion of modern tools like a ring light keeps the effective cautionary tale grounded in reality.
A useful tool for introducing a difficult topic to young readers.Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-578-96529-1
Page Count: 52
Publisher: Break The Chain Publishing
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers.
Animal parents declare their love for their offspring through rhymed puns and sentimental art.
The title sets the scene for what’s to come: The owl asks the owlet as they fly together, “WHOO loves you?”; the kangaroo and joey make each other “very HOPPY”; and the lioness and cub are a “PURRRFECT pair.” Most of the puns are both unimaginative and groanworthy, and they are likely to go over the heads of toddlers, who are not know for their wordplay abilities. The text is set in abcb quatrains split over two double-page spreads. On each spread, one couplet appears on the verso within a lightly decorated border on pastel pages. On the recto, a full-bleed portrait of the animal and baby appears in softly colored and cozy images. Hearts are prominent on every page, floating between the parent and baby as if it is necessary to show the love between each pair. Although these critters are depicted in mistily conceived natural habitats and are unclothed, they are human stand-ins through and through.
The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers. (Board book. 6 mos-2)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-1374-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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