A slight offering focusing on the familiar be-careful-what-you-wish-for trope.
When Bear can’t find the oodles of noodles he craves, he says toodles to the forest.
When Fox invites Bear to her spring party and he doesn’t come, she investigates. She discovers that Bear didn’t hibernate but, instead, watched the popular TV game show Noodle Knockout and gorged on noodles. Now he’s obsessed with them and spurns forest-animal delicacies. Eventually Bear ventures to the city, hoping to become a contestant on the show. As luck would have it, he makes the cut and is ultimately crowned “Grand Noodle Champion.” Now a celebrity, Bear hosts his own cooking show with all the noodles he wants. He should be happy, right? As stories like this go, though, Bear realizes he misses the forest, his cave, and, especially, his BFF, Fox. He returns home and is heartily welcomed by his friends…albeit sans noodles. Unsurprisingly, Bear has returned with a generous supply for everyone. This Australian import aims at being a fresh take on the leaving-one’s-comfort-zone-before-finally-understanding-where-one-genuinely-belongs genre, but its premise, though mildly amusing, is weak and unconvincing. The extent to which youngsters will understand the concept or conventions of game or cooking shows will vary, though Bear’s passion for noodles should resonate. The lively cartoon illustrations are child appealing and feature assorted animal characters.
A slight offering focusing on the familiar be-careful-what-you-wish-for trope. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 14, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1107-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2020
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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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
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