A spectacular day in Skeletown.
Down in Skeletown, a pair of tricksters get into mischief and hijinks in this monochromatic-flavored romp.
Time to prepare for a birthday! A round-headed little skeleton, similar to those seen in Dia de los Muertos imagery, lies on the floor with a card splayed open. The word Sí hovers above this scene. A page turn reveals that the young scamp is actually blocking the lane near the card rack. A frowning adult hovers nearby, with the word No atop the page. It’s a story of comical opposites, with text made up of only two words, as two young Skeletown hellions bring harmless, fun trouble to a birthday party. A big present for the birthday recipient certainly seems sweet (“Sí”), but then a jack-in-the-box pops out to cause a fright. “No” indeed. Take a small bite out of a slice of birthday cake (an easy “Sí” for most), but perhaps don’t gulp down the rest of the cake (a “No” if there ever was one). And bash the piñata, but watch out for a nearby beehive! It all culminates in a daredevil bicycle trick as one of the rascals pedals up a ramp to fly over the heads of the other partygoers. “¡No!” With bold, simple, thick-lined, black-and-white images set against a scratchy red background, Montijo’s Skeletown series opener oozes hilarity in an eye-popping package. The sublime, repeated juxtaposition of Sí and No offers wacky, surprising moments of levity, and it all comes together for a charming ending. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A spectacular day in Skeletown. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9780316464932
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2023
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The visual details invite interaction, making it a good choice for storytime or solo inspection.
It’s a quiet day, until….
“I have a bot!” An excited child’s happiness is short-lived, for the remote-controlled toy escapes its wireless tether and begins an ascent up the side of a skyscraper. The building’s doorman launches a race to recover the bot, and soon everyone wants to help. Attempts to retrieve the bot, which is rendered as a red rectangle with a propeller, arms, and a rudimentary face, go from the mundanity of a broom to the absurd—a bright orange beehive hairdo and a person-sized Venus’ flytrap are just some of the silly implements the building’s occupants use to try to rein in the bot. Each double-page spread reveals another level of the building—and further visual hijinks—as the bot makes its way to the top, where an unexpected hero waits (keep an eye out for falling bananas). The tall, narrow trim size echoes the shape of the skyscraper, providing a sense of height as the bot rises. Text is minimal; short declarations in tidy black dialogue bubbles with white courier-style typeface leave the primary-colored, blocky art to effectively carry the story. Facial expressions—both human and bot—are comically spot-on. The bot-owning child has light skin, and there are several people of color among those trying to rescue the bot. One person wears a kufi.
The visual details invite interaction, making it a good choice for storytime or solo inspection. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: July 23, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-425-28881-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
PERSPECTIVES
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