Darling illustrations and a gentle storyline combine for a lovely tale about the bonds of friendship.
When Penguin discovers a lost elephant, he vows to help her get home.
Marking the 10th anniversary of Yoon’s Penguin and Pinecone (2012), this tale sees the popular character return for another story of friendship. After freeing Penelope the elephant from the mud, Penguin tries to help her find her herd. They eventually swim their way across a body of water, following tracks on the other side back to Penelope’s family. The message—about the importance of trust in friendship and the value of staying connected despite distance—rings true. Adults sharing the story with children will feel a pang at Penguin’s words to Penelope, “I’ll never forget you either, because you’re unforgettable.” Penguin’s scarf, ever the symbol of the gift of friendship, becomes Penelope’s, tying the two together. Yoon’s signature illustrative style is on display; with thick black outlines reminiscent of block-printed art, each page feels simultaneously simple and detailed. The shift of perspective to a bird’s-eye view of Penguin and Penelope and depictions of interlocking elephant trunks “hugging” add richness to the storytelling. In the same vein as the other Penguin tales, this one is sweet and earnest and sure to resonate with fans and newcomers.
Darling illustrations and a gentle storyline combine for a lovely tale about the bonds of friendship. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68119-344-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
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
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground.
A little red sleigh has big Christmas dreams.
Although the detailed, full-color art doesn’t anthropomorphize the protagonist (which readers will likely identify as a sled and not a sleigh), a close third-person text affords the object thoughts and feelings while assigning feminine pronouns. “She longed to become Santa’s big red sleigh,” reads an early line establishing the sleigh’s motivation to leave her Christmas-shop home for the North Pole. Other toys discourage her, but she perseveres despite creeping self-doubt. A train and truck help the sleigh along, and when she wishes she were big, fast, and powerful like them, they offer encouragement and counsel patience. When a storm descends after the sleigh strikes out on her own, an unnamed girl playing in the snow brings her to a group of children who all take turns riding the sleigh down a hill. When the girl brings her home, the sleigh is crestfallen she didn’t reach the North Pole. A convoluted happily-ever-after ending shows a note from Santa that thanks the sleigh for giving children joy and invites her to the North Pole next year. “At last she understood what she was meant to do. She would build her life up spreading joy, one child at a time.” Will she leave the girl’s house to be gifted to other children? Will she stay and somehow also reach ever more children? Readers will be left wondering. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 31.8% of actual size.)
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72822-355-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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