by Roberta Baker & illustrated by Debbie Tilley ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2007
Baker’s inimitable Olive tackles a major childhood milestone with her usual panache. Olive may have had 17 play dates at her best friend Lizard’s house, but tonight is her first-ever sleepover. Baker infuses a familiar tale with a hearty dollop of zany humor that readers have come to expect from these quirky and appealing characters. When Lizard’s older sister regales the friends with a spooky tale, the inevitable occurs and Olive finds herself in Lizard’s suddenly unfamiliar room, sans a night light, desperately wishing she were home. Readers need not despair, as Olive and Lizard set out to conquer their fears in a courageous scheme that goes comically awry. Tilley’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations deftly capture the liveliness of the duo. While they highlight how overactive imaginations can turn even the most benign objects, such as a rubber ducky, into something sinister, she carefully maintains a comic element in her paintings. Baker’s splendid tale is just the thing to share with readers approaching this major event, or for those just looking for a good giggle. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: July 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-316-73418-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2007
Share your opinion of this book
More by Roberta Baker
BOOK REVIEW
by Roberta Baker & illustrated by Debbie Tilley
BOOK REVIEW
by Roberta Baker & illustrated by Debbie Tilley
BOOK REVIEW
by Roberta Baker & illustrated by Debbie Tilley
by Loren Long & illustrated by Loren Long ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2009
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
Share your opinion of this book
More In The Series
by Loren Long ; illustrated by Loren Long
by Loren Long ; illustrated by Loren Long
by Loren Long ; illustrated by Loren Long
More by Loren Long
BOOK REVIEW
by Matt de la Peña ; illustrated by Loren Long
BOOK REVIEW
by Loren Long ; illustrated by Loren Long
BOOK REVIEW
by Jason June ; illustrated by Loren Long
More About This Book
SEEN & HEARD
by Tabitha Brown ; illustrated by Olivia Duchess ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2025
Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale.
Actor, social media star, and entrepreneur Brown pens a joyful paean to positive thinking in her children’s debut.
Brown-skinned Tab rides a strawberry-themed bike, accompanied by a curly-haired black dog, Grady. Tab’s dazzling smile and wide eyes signal the upbeat theme echoed in the text, celebrating the sun’s warmth, which “fills everyone up with joy.” But Tab’s mood shifts, as it’s a “cloudy and gray” June day. Alert readers will spot the dog’s smiling countenance and note glimpses of sunny yellow butterflies and flowers. Mama’s reassurance that there’s “always a chance” for sunshine also underscores the optimism. Tab and Grady bike through suburban streets “to find the sun.” Along the way, the two stop to assist a neighbor building a birdhouse, loft a kite for friends Frankie and Fonte, and lend a hand to others, all while still having fun. Mama steers Tab toward an eventual understanding of the real source of joy: Though the sun didn’t appear, “I brightened everyone’s day!” The illustrations subtly underscore the message of this radiant story as touches of gold lighten the palette, which ends with sunny brilliance. Most characters read Black, though Tab’s community includes people who vary in skin tone, body type, and ability.
Being kind and helpful lights up the day from within in this inspiring and idyllic slice-of-life tale. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9780063342262
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
Share your opinion of this book
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.