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KITTY AND CAT

Name: KITTY AND CAT
Author: Mirka Hokkanen
ISBN: 978-1-5362-2367-5

OPPOSITES ATTRACT

From the Kitty and Cat series

by Mirka Hokkanen ; illustrated by Mirka Hokkanen ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023

Brevity is the soul of wit in this endearing tale of two kitties.

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Sometimes it takes a little while for opposites to attract.

Using just a word or two per page, Hokkanen tells a story of burgeoning friendship. An “old” black cat (with a white circle around one eye) is snoozing unsuspecting when the family introduces a “new” white kitten (with a black circle around one eye). The old cat is understandably “grumpy,” while the new kitten is quite “happy” to have giant cat furniture to explore. The kitten is, of course, “energetic”; the cat is “exhausted” just watching the little one’s antics. The troubles ramp up when the cat is “asleep” and the kitten is “awake.” The kitten chomps on cat’s fluffy tail. Cat retaliates, pushing kitten out through the cat door. The cat is “inside,” while the kitten is “outside” (in the rain). Finally, the cat brings the “wet” kitten in to lick it “dry.” Relations still take a while to thaw, but they bond over dinner. Unfortunately, the cats’ owners aren’t done introducing new family members. The concise text, made up entirely of opposite words, is effective, while the digitally created illustrations of the protagonists will make cat lovers smile; together, text and art convey a simple story of the developing relationship between the new fur-siblings. Human faces aren’t portrayed; readers see only a pair of light-skinned arms. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Brevity is the soul of wit in this endearing tale of two kitties. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: April 4, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-5362-2367-5

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS

- BOOK REVIEW
BENT OUT OF SHAPE
by Mirka Hokkanen ; illustrated by Mirka Hokkanen

- BOOK REVIEW
MOSSY AND TWEED
by Mirka Hokkanen ; illustrated by Mirka Hokkanen

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S CHRISTMAS

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 23, 2014

Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own...

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The sturdy Little Blue Truck is back for his third adventure, this time delivering Christmas trees to his band of animal pals.

The truck is decked out for the season with a Christmas wreath that suggests a nose between headlights acting as eyeballs. Little Blue loads up with trees at Toad’s Trees, where five trees are marked with numbered tags. These five trees are counted and arithmetically manipulated in various ways throughout the rhyming story as they are dropped off one by one to Little Blue’s friends. The final tree is reserved for the truck’s own use at his garage home, where he is welcomed back by the tree salestoad in a neatly circular fashion. The last tree is already decorated, and Little Blue gets a surprise along with readers, as tiny lights embedded in the illustrations sparkle for a few seconds when the last page is turned. Though it’s a gimmick, it’s a pleasant surprise, and it fits with the retro atmosphere of the snowy country scenes. The short, rhyming text is accented with colored highlights, red for the animal sounds and bright green for the numerical words in the Christmas-tree countdown.

Little Blue’s fans will enjoy the animal sounds and counting opportunities, but it’s the sparkling lights on the truck’s own tree that will put a twinkle in a toddler’s eyes. (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-544-32041-3

Page Count: 24

Publisher: HMH Books

Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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HAPPY EASTER, LITTLE POOKIE

From the Little Pookie series

by Sandra Boynton ; illustrated by Sandra Boynton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 31, 2023

An upbeat Easter outing with a beloved character.

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Pookie celebrates Easter with a play date and holiday activities.

Pookie’s friend Bean, a gray puppy, comes over for Easter fun that includes lots of bouncing around and egg decorating. After Bean goes home, Pookie gets excited about the Easter Bunny’s arrival and goes to sleep dreaming of a large chocolate egg. Like the other Pookie books before it, this one is told in rhyme from the perspective of a loving grown-up addressing the little pig, which keeps the pace moving and makes for a great read-aloud. Bean and Pookie are realistically—and endearingly—childlike, from Pookie’s pronunciation of yellow as “lellow!” to the joyful mess they make while decorating eggs. There are plenty of sweet and festive touches, such as the bunny ears that Bean and Pookie (and Pookie’s teddy) wear and the daffodils painted on the end of Pookie’s bed. The illustrations include large, full-page images as well as smaller vignettes against solid backgrounds. One page shows Pookie and parent looking out the window at the moon, anticipating Easter’s spoils. For fans of Boynton and little Pookie, this Easter tale is exactly as expected: a touch of playfulness, a relatable story, and comfort in the familiar. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An upbeat Easter outing with a beloved character. (Board book. 2-4)