Playful illustrations make this book worthwhile.
A wish for a particular birthday party guest comes true.
Penny is turning 6 and asks for a flamingo-themed party this year. She also requests a special guest: a flamingo named Pinky, who lives in the city zoo. Her mom says they should stick to her classmates—but when Penny looks into the backyard, she sees Pinky splashing around in the inflatable swimming pool! Penny tells him to stay out of sight; Pinky says, “Squawk.” Penny and her dad go to buy supplies, such as a piñata and cake, while Pinky tags along. Then they pick up Penny’s friends for a round of miniature golf before heading to the house for cake and “Pin the Feather on the Flamingo” (not Pinky!). As Mom and Dad hand out party favors, Mom finally twigs to Pinky’s presence. This book doubles as a game of sorts, as readers try to find the wayward flamingo at the party-supply store, on the golf course, and amid the partygoers. Illustrations are bright and fun in a simple cartoon style. The creativity in the themed decorations and visual plot embellishments means the majority of the story details occur within the pictures while the minimal text supplies only the barest skeleton. The mild silliness in this sequel to Portis and Richmond’s Pinky Got Out! (2019) will appeal to young animal lovers like Penny. Penny has brown hair and beige skin, and her parents are an interracial couple; her friends are diverse.
Playful illustrations make this book worthwhile. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-101-93302-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property.
Since a reformed Grinch is hardly any fun, this follow-up Grinches him up once more.
Those seeking more of the same, prepare to receive precisely that. Christmas is coming (again!), and the Grinch can hardly wait. He’s been patient all year, and now he can finally show the Whos down in Who-ville how much he’s changed. When the Grinch learns of a tree-decorating contest, he figures that if he wins, it’ll prove he truly has the Christmas spirit. He throws himself into the task, but when it comes time to judge the trees, the Grinch is horrified to discover that he’s received only the second-place trophy. Can Cindy-Lou Who find the words to save the day? Replicating many of the original beats and wordplay of the original, this tale feels like less a sequel and more like a vaguely rewritten variation. Meanwhile, Ruiz’s art seeks to bridge the gap between the animated Chuck Jones version of the Grinch and the one depicted in the original book. This thankless task results in a strange uncanny valley between Seuss and Jones but does allow the artist a chance to colorize everything and lend some racial diversity to the Who population (Cindy-Lou is light-skinned). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593563168
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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