A wonderful example of how to resolve social snafus through the power of play.
A little boy adjusts to his first day at a new school with the help of a fluffy pink stuffed feline.
Tan-skinned Percy feels uncomfortable and alone until he meets Miss Petticomb, a toy cat who, in his imagination, invites him to play. But when the boy isn’t looking, other children take Miss Petticomb, and an alarmed Percy decides to rescue her (“Held captive! At what appeared to be a party”), sparking a slight altercation. Tense words are exchanged. “We’re playing with the kitty.” Percy responds, “She was playing with me.” Percy learns that the party is for Miss Petticomb—today is her birthday. Rather than retreating, he decides to offer some pretend ice cream to go with the cake. Button, an early childhood educator, explores a difficult but important skill for children—entering a situation as a newcomer—and shows how imaginative play can lead the way. Percy effectively manages an unsettling moment by making a creative suggestion. Equally important is the positive response from Percy’s classmates, who welcome him into the fold. Percy and his new pals make Miss Petticomb’s party a rousing success, because “That’s what friends do.” Bright, expressive, realistic drawings bring to life a diverse group of children. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A wonderful example of how to resolve social snafus through the power of play. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781772782813
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Pajama Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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