Who better than a mythical being to share how to be exceptional?
Nine simple steps to become your unicorn best.
An essential question is posed: “Do you want to shine like a unicorn?” If not, no need to read any further. But in this story, the answer is an enthusiastic “Of course you do!” And extremely excited unicorn protagonist Glitter Poop can’t wait to share the secret steps that will make this dream come true. First, one must choose a unicorn name by combining “a fun word and a silly adjective.” (Sadly for readers, Glitter Poop is already taken.) Other steps follow: Don’t be afraid to stand out, to be curious, or to make your own fun. Maybe you can wear a hot dog hat on your head or learn words like grandiloquent. Step No. 7 is important: “Love yourself.” Even on those foolish “upside-down days where nothing looks right.” But Step No. 9? That is the “MOST IMPORTANT UNICORNY step of all.” It’s top secret. Glitter Poop warns readers to turn the page only if they are truly ready. Embellished with rainbows, confetti, doughnuts, and joy, Frost’s buoyant art rises to Glitter Poop’s energy. The rainbow-maned blue equine even cries extravagantly. The gray-suited green Martians with toilet-paper–roll horns are an especially good touch. A rousing call to action at the end unifies all unicorn-storytime devotees. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Who better than a mythical being to share how to be exceptional? (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-299833-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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