A charming, funny tale of bedtime antics.
A young penguin finds a creative way to postpone bedtime.
Mom knocks on Chip’s door. It’s time for bed! But Chip’s too busy. Glued to a makeshift computer screen, with a stuffed toy “assistant” looking on, Chip has emails to send. So the negotiations begin. Chip proposes switching roles with Mom. She’ll be the kid and go to bed, and Chip will be the grown-up and watch TV. Mom agrees and plays the game with great skill and definite cunning: She requires Chip to tuck her in, read her a bedtime story, bring her favorite stuffed animal, and more. She also gives “grown-up” Chip a list of chores that she usually does in the evenings. Chip completes them all and finally gets to watch TV. An exhausted Chip has had enough; it’s time to be a kid again! This tale starts off with a quick guide to reading comics, defining terms and explaining how to read the panels in the right order. The cartoon artwork adds details and dimension, greatly enhancing the spare text. Perched on skinny stick legs, Chip and Mom are an adorably anthropomorphic pair whose home is an igloo in a frozen landscape. Frost makes great use of their body language and facial expressions to convey emotion. Young readers will be drawn into this familiar family dynamic, recognizing their own bedtime struggles and forays into independence.
A charming, funny tale of bedtime antics. (Graphic early reader. 4-9)Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
ISBN: 9780063306479
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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
What a wag.
What do you get from sewing the head of a smart dog onto the body of a tough police officer? A new superhero from the incorrigible creator of Captain Underpants.
Finding a stack of old Dog Mancomics that got them in trouble back in first grade, George and Harold decide to craft a set of new(ish) adventures with (more or less) improved art and spelling. These begin with an origin tale (“A Hero Is Unleashed”), go on to a fiendish attempt to replace the chief of police with a “Robo Chief” and then a temporarily successful scheme to make everyone stupid by erasing all the words from every book (“Book ’Em, Dog Man”), and finish off with a sort of attempted alien invasion evocatively titled “Weenie Wars: The Franks Awaken.” In each, Dog Man squares off against baddies (including superinventor/archnemesis Petey the cat) and saves the day with a clever notion. With occasional pauses for Flip-O-Rama featurettes, the tales are all framed in brightly colored sequential panels with hand-lettered dialogue (“How do you feel, old friend?” “Ruff!”) and narrative. The figures are studiously diverse, with police officers of both genders on view and George, the chief, and several other members of the supporting cast colored in various shades of brown. Pilkey closes as customary with drawing exercises, plus a promise that the canine crusader will be further unleashed in a sequel.
What a wag. (Graphic fantasy. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-58160-8
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
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