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A HORSE CALLED NOW

Name: A HORSE CALLED NOW
Author: Ruth Doyle
ISBN: 9798887770727

by Ruth Doyle ; illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2024

A refreshingly inspired lesson on the importance of living in the moment.

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A gentle horse models mindfulness.

Aptly named Now, the shaggy white mare remains unflappable even as a bevy of panicked animals come rushing up to her. A family of rabbits is the first to dash into the meadow. “Fox is chasing us!” they cry. When Now presses them for details, they admit that they didn’t actually see Fox, just a flash of red. But it might be him. “Can you see him now?” the horse inquires. “At this moment, all is well,” she tells them. Then Hen and her chicks run over. “Help! There’s a swooping bird trying to catch my chicks! It might be Magpie!” “Look up,” responds Now. “Can you see a swooping bird?” When Hen responds no, Now repeats, “At this moment, all is well.” Though these animals have caught only a glimpse or a shadow, their minds spin wildly to fill in the rest. Now calmly brings them back to her namesake, the present moment. Most mindfulness primers are a list of directives; this tale has the slow-moving grace of a fable. Softly stroked greens, blues, and yellows show the serene side of nature. Besides being a centering presence, Now also imparts wisdom on the habit of jumping to conclusions and misjudging others.

A refreshingly inspired lesson on the importance of living in the moment. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 4, 2024

ISBN: 9798887770727

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Nosy Crow

Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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YOU ARE PART OF THE WONDER
by Ruth Doyle ; illustrated by Britta Teckentrup

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SONGS FOR OUR SONS
by Ruth Doyle ; illustrated by Ashling Lindsay

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DREAMS FOR OUR DAUGHTERS
by Ruth Doyle ; illustrated by Ashling Lindsay

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DECOY SAVES OPENING DAY

by Shohei Ohtani & Michael Blank ; illustrated by Fanny Liem ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 3, 2026

A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts.

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Ohtani, pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, teams up with Blank and Liem to tell the story of how his dog, Decoy, threw out a ceremonial first pitch.

It’s a big day! Decoy leaps “off the bed. Then back onto the bed. Then off the bed.” The enthusiastic pup heads outside to practice with his lucky baseball but is quickly distracted by squirrels (“we’ll play later!”), airplanes (“flyin’ high!”), and flowers (“smell ya soon!”). Dog and pitcher then head to the ballpark. In the locker room, Decoy high-paws Shohei’s teammates. It’s nearly time! But as Shohei prepares to warm up, Decoy realizes that he’s forgotten something important: his lucky ball. Without it, there will be “no championships, no parades, and no hot dogs!” Back home he goes, returning just in time. With Shohei at the plate, Decoy runs from the mound to his owner, rolling the ball into Shohei’s mitt for a “Striiiiike!” Related from a dog’s point of view, Ohtani and Blank’s energetic text lends the tale a sense of urgency and suspense. Liem’s illustrations capture the excitement of the first day of baseball season and the joys of locker room camaraderie, as well as Shohei and Decoy’s mutual affection—even when the ball is drenched in slobber, Shohei’s love for his pet shines through, and clearly, Decoy is focused when it matters.

A charming tale of an athlete who may not steal any bases but who will certainly steal readers’ hearts. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026

ISBN: 9780063460775

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)