Everyone has some secret powers hidden inside.
Ralph the rooster longs to be a superhero.
As evidenced by the many comic books scattered about his roost (along with Captain Eggplant and Shark Man posters), Ralph is thrilled by daring rescues and super strengths. He likes to believe he has some superpowers of his own. Unfortunately, they lack a bit of greatness. “He could crow and make the sun rise…but only when it wasn’t raining.” He is able to fly…but not very far. The other animals on the farm are not amused. In language littered with puns, they bemoan Ralph’s active imagination. “He’s udderly ridiculous,” says Caroline the cow. “You’re not pulling the wool over my eyes,” says Sheila the sheep. But one animal is Ralph’s best friend: Rosie the pig. Rosie is the most encouraging sidekick ever. When Ralph hears “The Chicken Dance” on the radio for the first time, Rosie hollers: “That dance is your super-duper rooster booster!” Super strength charges through Ralph as soon as he does all the moves! Unfortunately, he still has trouble judging what is a true disaster and what is not. Regardless, Ralph is ready. The amusing and bouncy refrain is a read-aloud treat: “Cheep-cheep-cheep! / Flap-flap-flap! / Wiggle-wiggle-wiggle, / and a clap-clap-clap!” McClurkan’s uncomplicated farm scenes emphasize the animals’ expressive faces (especially George the goat’s). (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 47% of actual size.)
Everyone has some secret powers hidden inside. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5420-0778-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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