Encouragement for youngsters facing similar anxieties.
A tiny bunny conquers her fears.
Hop awakens “trembling and cold” after a nightmare in which she was chased by wolves. Though Hop’s mother soothes her and offers coping suggestions each time (“Next time you have the bad dream,” Mommy tells her, “burrow deeper under the ground into another dream”), the wolves still haunt her, and her fears grow as her slumber is disturbed by first 100, then 1,000, 100,000, and even 1,000,000 of those furry beasts. In desperation she recalls her mother’s reminder that she controls her own dreams and need not fear those imaginary wolves—even if they are flying in helicopters or overwhelming her in great numbers. Turnabout is fair play, especially in dreams, and Hop finally overcomes her trepidation. The use of purples, blues, and yellows in the illustrations adds to the feeling of anxiety and tension as the colors swirl in almost psychedelic fashion across the pages. The wolves are frighteningly fierce and threatening until they’re put in their places by Hop, whose decision to stand her ground is captured through an intense close-up of her eye. The coziness of Hop’s comfortable burrow contrasts vividly with the intimidation of the wolves’ woods. Repetitive phrases trace Hop’s evolution from timid to self-assured.
Encouragement for youngsters facing similar anxieties. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9798765625316
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Andersen Press USA
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
A retro-futuristic romp, literally and figuratively screwy.
Robo-parents Diode and Lugnut present daughter Cathode with a new little brother—who requires, unfortunately, some assembly.
Arriving in pieces from some mechanistic version of Ikea, little Flange turns out to be a cute but complicated tyke who immediately falls apart…and then rockets uncontrollably about the room after an overconfident uncle tinkers with his basic design. As a squad of helpline techies and bevies of neighbors bearing sludge cake and like treats roll in, the cluttered and increasingly crowded scene deteriorates into madcap chaos—until at last Cath, with help from Roomba-like robodog Sprocket, stages an intervention by whisking the hapless new arrival off to a backyard workshop for a proper assembly and software update. “You’re such a good big sister!” warbles her frazzled mom. Wiesner’s robots display his characteristic clean lines and even hues but endearingly look like vaguely anthropomorphic piles of random jet-engine parts and old vacuum cleaners loosely connected by joints of armored cable. They roll hither and thither through neatly squared-off panels and pages in infectiously comical dismay. Even the end’s domestic tranquility lasts only until Cathode spots the little box buried in the bigger one’s packing material: “TWINS!” (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 52% of actual size.)
A retro-futuristic romp, literally and figuratively screwy. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-544-98731-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
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