An occasionally charming but unextraordinary story of interspecies friendship.
Veronika and her dog Stewie have some fun adventures in the park in Scavone’s debut picture book.
Dog Stewie and Veronika are the best of friends. They love to go their local park to play and explore. They begin by catching butterflies and bumblebees, then encounter some new animal friends—namely fish, frogs, and ducks—as they relax by the lake. Veronika tells her pet, “Stewie, Stewie, I love you / and all the special things we do. Stewie, Stewie, you are my best friend, / I never want this day to end.” Unfortunately, though, the day must eventually end, as they head home after basking in the sunshine and frolicking about in nature. The author is heavy on the rhyming couplets but light on plot. The fish that startles Stewie and Veronika appears at first glance to be a welcome source of drama in the story, but the author moves on to briefly describe the other animals the pair meet instead. There is no dramatic tension to capture a young reader’s attention. However, a preschooler who enjoys calm, meandering slice-of-life stories would be drawn to this one. Scavone’s digital illustrations are sunny and saturated, though his skill in depicting animals, particularly cute Stewie, may not make up for the vacant, haunted look in Veronika’s eyes and the odd smile he gives her on every page.
An occasionally charming but unextraordinary story of interspecies friendship.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2023
ISBN: 978-1088117156
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end.
Something is preventing Owl from falling asleep.
Owl leans back against his white pillow and headboard. “Squeek!” says something underneath the bed. Owl’s never heard that sound before, so he fastens his pink bathrobe and answers the front door. Nobody. It must be the wind; back to bed. Bidding himself goodnight, he climbs into bed—and hears the noise again. Time after time, he pops out of bed seeking the squeaker. Is it in the cupboard? He empties the shelves. Under the floor? He pulls up his floorboards. As Owl’s actions ratchet up—he destroys the roof and smashes the walls, all in search of the squeak—so does his anxiety. Not until he hunkers down in bed under the night sky (his bed is now outdoors, because the house’s roof and walls are gone), frantically clutching his pillow, does he see what readers have seen all along: a small, gray mouse. In simple illustrations with black outlines, textured coloring, and foreshortened perspective, Pizzoli plays mischievously with mouse placement. Sometimes the mouse is behind Owl or just out of his sightline; other times, the mouse is on a solid, orange-colored page across the spread from Owl, which removes him from Owl’s scene in a rather postmodern manner. Is the mouse toying with Owl? Who knows?
A funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 19, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-1275-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
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