Don’t let the owls keep this unusual book secret. It deserves to be shared.
An alphabetical menagerie of animals—with an interpersonal twist.
One by one, this picture-book version of a getting-to-know-you game introduces obscure “facts” about each included animal. Each entry presents a large-font letter of the alphabet in upper- and lowercase followed by a sentence or two. For example, “Iguanas sometimes get homesick on sleepovers,” and “Jellyfish don’t care if you think they look funny when they dance.” Sometimes, the animals (which may as well be stand-ins for human children) even flip the traditional script, with dragons crying at happy endings, unicorns believing in themselves, or zebras wanting to be first for a change. Whether socially or in terms of self-awareness, the messages contained within each entry approximate universality. But even when O’Leary writes in absolutes, Grant’s illustrations sometimes include an animal or two who stray from the pack—a subtle celebration of diversity. The light sprinkle of visual and verbal humor keeps the book’s truisms from feeling stale. Readers may not connect with every animal, but they’ll likely see pieces of themselves (or people they know) here and there. The book’s dark cover gives it a nighttime feel, but Grant’s muted, stylized interior illustrations are surrounded by white space. Endpapers list the whole alphabet alongside hidden miniatures of each letter’s animal, inviting readers to make predictions before reading.
Don’t let the owls keep this unusual book secret. It deserves to be shared. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-15247-1331-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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
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