A sweet ode to a ’90s favorite.
The iconic aardvark gets a celebratory tome.
Arthur, Francine, Buster, D.W., and the rest of Elwood City celebrate 25 years of working, learning, and playing together in this rose-colored glimpse back at the Arthur series and eponymous television show. Life lessons, quotes, and warmly rendered illustrations pepper five sections ranging from “Believe in Yourself” to “Believe in Opening Your Eyes, Ears, and Heart” and “Believe in a Wonderful Kind of Day.” Less a treasury and more of a keepsake, this volume will mean the world to those who grew up watching the PBS program and reading the accompanying picture books and will mean very little to everyone else. The layout provides popular quotes from the books and show as well as new pieces of artwork that will delight die-hard fans. The material is thin but always encouraging, making for a poor reference text but an excellent eighth grade graduation present. Marc Brown’s creation has earned the love and respect of generations, and most readers will find something amusing in here, e.g., a D.W. witticism or hilarious joke from Buster that will remind them of weekday afternoons spent watching Arthur after finishing homework. The book never exploits this connection, instead seeking to pointedly remind readers of the lessons Arthur and his pals (including Pal the dog!) taught them and each other. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A sweet ode to a ’90s favorite. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Jan. 25, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5456-6
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
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
A sweet notion that falls flat.
A hit song reimagined as a book about parental love.
Featured in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, Perri’s “A Thousand Years” deals with the speaker’s fear of romantic love. In picture-book form, it explores a parent’s unwavering love for a child, who grows from an infant into a toddler over the course of the narrative. The caregiver expresses awe when the youngster learns to stand and fear that the child might fall while beginning to walk. “I have spent every day waiting for you,” the parent says. “Darling, don’t be afraid.” What the child might fear isn’t clear from the joyful balloon- and rainbow-filled illustrations. The story borders on cloying, and words that might work when sung and accompanied by music don’t sound fresh on the page: “Time goes by. / You grow ever stronger as you fly.” The refrain, however, is a lovely sentiment: “I have loved you for a thousand years. / I’ll love you for a thousand more.” Perri’s legion of fans may flock to this version, illustrated by Ruiz with sparkling stars, bubbles, and big-eyed toddlers, but it doesn’t hold together as a narrative or an ode, as it’s billed, and it’s a long way from the original song. The child is tan-skinned, the parent is lighter-skinned, and other characters are diverse.
A sweet notion that falls flat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622599
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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