Vast charm in a (relatively) small package yields big laughs.
Size may be relative, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also get silly.
How large or small a kid is can take on outsized importance, so right from the start, an unseen narrator poses the titular question. Well, what is “big,” exactly? Our stand-in, purple-skinned child is placed next to an anthropomorphized bespectacled hot-air balloon. After all, hot-air balloons are big. On the next spread, the balloon is beside an even larger cloud. And beside the cloud? A storm. When the continent of Australia walks onto the scene, grinning wide, dwarfing the storm, we get a hint of how ridiculous things are about to get. And indeed, in walks the moon. Then Earth. Then the sun. Then the star Pollux, and beyond that are galaxies and galaxy clusters. Suddenly the question returns. “So, are you big?” A little bug cries out, “You are to ME!” Further facts about relative sizes appear at the story’s end, as well as a necessary caveat that the images are not to scale. With aplomb, Willems plays with textures, colors, and layering in a style that resembles cut paper. Meanwhile the steady one-upmanship of the large bodies allows for the rare combination of scientific backing, read-aloud humor, and a concrete message about where one stands in the grand scheme of things.
Vast charm in a (relatively) small package yields big laughs. (Informational picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781454948186
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
Formulaic fare that will nevertheless charm devoted followers.
A few familiar friends explore gratitude.
Daywalt’s crayons have observed many holidays, from Christmas to Earth Day. On Thanksgiving, these anthropomorphic school supplies wax (pun intended) poetic about their favorite things to draw. “Blue is thankful for blueberries.” (The accompanying illustration depicts the stubby crayon leaping into a pile of the fruit.) Black, on a page topped by dark scribbles, “is thankful for night skies.” In an aside, Black adds, “Big, beautiful night skies I get to color in all by myself!” (Blue is perfectly fine with this.) Pink pipes up with “Three glorious words. Amazon. River. Dolphins”—which may spur readers to research these creatures. The tale turns a bit meta, too. Teal is thankful for family—both Blue and Green. Red, surrounded by hearts, is thankful for Neon Green Highlighter, who was accidentally dropped into the crayon box—a “dreamboat” for sure. Recognizable jokes from previous works make appearances; these callbacks will delight staunch fans, though others will find them tiring. Standard cheer and platitudes abound; the crayons are ultimately most grateful for each other.
Formulaic fare that will nevertheless charm devoted followers. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9780593690574
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
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