Competently depicts the effects of pollution and climate change on marine life.
In Mancuso’s illustrated children’s tale, three mermaids demonstrate ocean conservation by saving various sea creatures.
Mermaids Sara, Alix, and Lucy are playing in the waves when they see their friend Tony the Turtle acting strangely in “the place where the ocean waves break.” Concerned, Alix quickly realizes he must be cold-stunned; the mermaids need to get him to warm water pronto. They enlist the help of Beth, a human with connections to the Marine Animal Rescue, and the four transport the sea turtle to safety. This encounter inspires the mermaid trio to form an animal rescue committee, which assists a flamingo with plastic wrapped around its beak, a dolphin caught in a net, and a manatee recently hit by a jet ski. Mancuso effectively conveys how humans’ actions affect aquatic life, and Guidi’s digital art colorfully depicts the animals and their habitats. The mermaids resolve their central concern of rescuing Tony very quickly, which makes for a truncated story arc but allows the tale to showcase the plight of multiple animals. The narration unfolds via informative but uneven couplets: “Dottie the dolphin was entangled and twisted in an old fishing net. Lucy yelled, ‘She can’t move. She must have a 100 pounds of line on her, I bet!’ ” In addition, the storyline illustrates several next steps for tackling environmental issues but is light on resources. Still, this follow-up to The Fin-Tastic Cleanup(2021) may appeal to kids who care about our oceans. Reminiscent of TV shows The Magic School Bus and I Can Save the Ocean! by Allison Inches; a glossary and facts about turtles, flamingos, dolphins, and manatees are included.
Competently depicts the effects of pollution and climate change on marine life. (Picture book for ages 3-5.)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-63755-257-5
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Mascot Kids
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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