A splendid, gentle introduction to environmental activism.
In this picture book from the Pulitzer Prize winner and her daughter, two youngsters embark on adventures.
Three relationships subtly unfold in this captivating tale: coyotes and their world, Diana and her grandfather, and other humans and Earth’s remaining wilderness. One summer afternoon, Coyote Pup’s aunt takes him on his first hunt. Close by, young Diana begins her first camping trip. Diana asks about this environment, new to her; Grandpa points out the wildlife around them and discusses their role as appreciative visitors. Pages alternate between the coyotes and the humans. For both young ones, the emphasis is on their senses, especially Coyote Pup’s keen nose and Diana’s sharp eyes as she spots prints and scat. Grandpa tells Diana that if there are too many deer and rabbits, the forest will be overrun; coyotes help keep things in balance by hunting these herbivores. Meanwhile, Coyote Pup encounters his first prey, a vole. Coyote Pup and Diana (who goes fishing with her grandfather) both fail at their first predations, and both compensate with wild berries; their parallel family warmth also connects them. Grandpa warns Diana against overfishing: "We take what we need and no more." Backmatter offers more information about coyotes and how to help them. Richly detailed paintings provide a vivid virtual forest visit and breathtaking close-ups of the coyotes. Diana and Grandpa present white; the coyotes are gloriously real.
A splendid, gentle introduction to environmental activism. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9780940719484
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gryphon Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre.
In the latest installment of the delightfully disturbing chapter-book series, the mundane once more takes on supernatural qualities, this time in the form of veggies.
With this follow-up to Troubling Tonsils! (2025), our host, Jasper Rabbit, once more channels Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling. As Jasper narrates, we meet our heroes: fourth graders Thaddeus Badger and Oliver Possum, who love nothing more than eating junk food, particularly the hamburgers at Hurt-A-Burger (a mildly brilliant corporate name on the author’s part). When Oliver’s parents trick the two into a dinner of salads at their favorite fast-food joint, Thaddeus feels betrayed, but Oliver experiences something a little more dire. Soon after, Oliver starts acting strangely, and his parents begin behaving even more oddly. What’s going on? And does it have anything to do with the full moon? Tone is the true star of the show in this series; the mystery unspools thanks to the buildup of unnerving moments. Reynolds combines suspense with a keen ability to artistically frame both sunny innocent sequences and those rich with dark foreboding. Notably, this is no morality tale about eating your vegetables—this tale is fully on the side of its child readers. Brown’s black-and-white images, punctuated with eerie pops of green, heighten both horrifying and comedic moments.
Disconcerting and possibly deadly dealings are afoot; certain to charm younger fans of the macabre. (Chapter book. 6-9)Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781665961110
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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