This may not be GRRRRReat, but it’s pretty darned good.
Two bears vie for the title of Best Bear in the Wood in this picture book.
For three years running, grizzly bear Fred has won the Best Bear in the Wood contest—a contest that involves catching fish, hula-hooping, scaring humans (the humans depicted appear to be white), and, most importantly, emitting the loudest GRRRRR. Fred has set his sights on winning this year too, and he is training hard. Problem is, he has no time for friends with all that training. Then Boris, a new bear with a waxed mustache and a turtleneck, shows up and is seen entering Fred’s cave—and on the morning of the day of the contest, Fred’s GRRRRR is missing from its speech bubble. Coincidence? Perhaps not. Biddulph’s story has no unexpected twists—some are deliberately given away, others are easily foreseen—so yes, the overall storyline is predictable, and the rhyming text strains at times. Still, the illustrations are quirky and humorous, and the book’s design—with its well-thought-out mix of double-page spreads, spot illustrations, and single-page illustrations—brings a great deal of liveliness to the tale. The endpapers cleverly summarize the denouement, and there is an only-in-the-illustrations side story that little ones will enjoy discovering. In fact, it is the clever, small touches rather than the familiar theme (the value of friendship, extending forgiveness) that mark this story a cut above the typical.
This may not be GRRRRReat, but it’s pretty darned good. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-236725-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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