This romp’s adventures—and lessons in kindness—make a cat an adorable role model.
This second installment of a children’s book series follows a compassionate feline to downtown London.
Bunny Simmons-Bloom, a 2-year-old tuxedo cat who lives “a life of international adventure,” is back again—this time in London. Bunny wants to cheer up 10-year-old Lily Hayward, her blond next-door neighbor who gets bullied at school for being “nerdy.” The feline tells readers: “Nothing upsets me more than young humans or animals being mistreated.” As Bunny contemplates how to help her friend, she mentions to Lily that the city is planning a giant fox cull since the animals have been making giant messes and threatening kids and small animals. Horrified by the idea, Lily and Bunny (alongside the girl’s rambunctious golden retriever puppy, Goldy) embark on a quest to warn the foxes and try to work out a solution. They soon run into Freddy Fox, who shows the group just how hard his life can be while trying to scrounge for food and avoid getting hit by cars. He eventually brings them to Chieftess Fox—a haughty leader amusingly illustrated with a jaunty eye patch and plenty of attitude—whose mistrust of humans makes sense once she explains that people have been hunting foxes and encroaching on their natural habitat for years. As Bunny, Lily, and the Chieftess discuss the need to work together, Lily comes up with a brilliant solution that may just save the foxes—and make her a hero in her community. While Bloom’s overly simplistic dialogue may make this a less-than-exciting tale for parents, elementary-age readers will be delighted that they can peruse it on their own. The story brims with worthy lessons about responsibility, altruism, and respect for animals, providing a perfect platform for discussions about these important topics between kids and adults. The sequel also proves to be an entertaining tale that showcases Mayell’s clever and creative illustrations of an endearing feline in a colorful animal world.
This romp’s adventures—and lessons in kindness—make a cat an adorable role model.Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-0997642544
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Hello Bunny LLC
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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