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CAT CAN SWIM

Name: CAT CAN SWIM
Author: Rebecca Purcell
ISBN: 978-1-80036-004-4

From the Cat's Adventures series

by Rebecca Purcell ; illustrated by Rebecca Purcell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2020

Doesn’t make a big splash, but Cat is cute enough to make it worth diving in.

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Jump in with Cat on an underwater adventure.

Purcell’s Cat, of Cat’s New Hat and Cat Goes Fast (both 2020), is back again, this time ready to take an extensive dip. Seeking relief from the hot sun, Cat dives down to the bottom of the ocean, passing fish, eels, and a shark on the way to meeting a feline mermaid. Once Cat is back ashore it begins to rain, and sidekick Bird, who naturally stays above the waves, brings an umbrella to the chilly Cat. The end is a nice counterpoint to the beginning, as Cat had started the story hot and wanting to get wet, so it ends on the opposite note. Overall, the illustrations are so simple that nuances can be spotted easily. Cat looks so much the same from page to page that little drops of perspiration are all that is needed to show the heat. The story itself isn’t much of a story; it’s mostly just a series of rhymes. That said, the bouncing rhythm does keep up the pace for little listeners. Though Bird takes she/her pronouns, Cat remains ungendered. (It is not clear whether Cat’s avian pal is the same Bird as in Purcell’s Owl and Bird books, but they look an awful lot alike.)

Doesn’t make a big splash, but Cat is cute enough to make it worth diving in. (Board book. 6 mos.-2)

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-80036-004-4

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Tiny Seed

Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE MONSTER READS A BOOK
by Rebecca Purcell

- BOOK REVIEW
COUNTING WITH OWL AND BIRD
by Rebecca Purcell ; illustrated by Rebecca Purcell

- BOOK REVIEW
CAT HAS ONE SHOE
by Rebecca Purcell ; illustrated by Rebecca Purcell

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- 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

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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I LOVE YOU LIKE NO OTTER

by Rose Rossner ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2020

The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers.

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Animal parents declare their love for their offspring through rhymed puns and sentimental art.

The title sets the scene for what’s to come: The owl asks the owlet as they fly together, “WHOO loves you?”; the kangaroo and joey make each other “very HOPPY”; and the lioness and cub are a “PURRRFECT pair.” Most of the puns are both unimaginative and groanworthy, and they are likely to go over the heads of toddlers, who are not know for their wordplay abilities. The text is set in abcb quatrains split over two double-page spreads. On each spread, one couplet appears on the verso within a lightly decorated border on pastel pages. On the recto, a full-bleed portrait of the animal and baby appears in softly colored and cozy images. Hearts are prominent on every page, floating between the parent and baby as if it is necessary to show the love between each pair. Although these critters are depicted in mistily conceived natural habitats and are unclothed, they are human stand-ins through and through.

The greeting-card art and jokey rhymes work for the baby-shower market but not for the youngest readers. (Board book. 6 mos-2)