A clever, funny animal tale about acceptance and community.
A platypus searches for a beach that will welcome her family in this picture book about inclusivity.
On a perfect beach day, Mrs. Duck-billed Platypus packs up all the things she and her seven children need to enjoy the surf and sand. After applying sunscreen to the kids and her egg, she leads them to the area’s nicest beach. Unfortunately, there’s a sign: “No beaks allowed.” Mrs. Platypus thinks about arguing with the buffalo lifeguard, but she’s encountered animals like him before and “she can tell he is not going to listen or change his mind.” After being turned away from eight more beaches, the platypuses are ready to head home until they find other animals who were also excluded. Mrs. Platypus leads the group to an unoccupied beach and makes a sign welcoming everyone. Soon, their sunny oasis is crowded with happy animals—and the private beaches have all been abandoned. With the same energy and theme as Lisa Mantchev’s Strictly No Elephants(2015),this story about including everyone resonates. Lescaut uses an accessible vocabulary and generally short sentences (the beach supply list is the longest one in the book), making this tale well suited for emergent readers. The text varies between direct narration and dialogue, as the young platypuses provide humorous commentary on the day. Martí’s digital watercolor illustrations make excellent use of the amusing platypus shapes, giving readers a charming group of anthropomorphic animals to follow to beautifully drawn beaches.
A clever, funny animal tale about acceptance and community.Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-1734761887
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tra Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 10, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An earnest graduation gift: sweet for lifelong fans, cheerfully encouraging for striving, future graduates.
Success comes at last for the bright-eyed Pigeon.
A clever, tongue-in-cheek ersatz colophon reveals that this graduate has been awarded a “Master of Ornery-thology, Bachelor of Arts of Persuasion with a Minor in Major Freak-outs (summa cum loudly).” Fans will be glad that the Pigeon’s tireless, abundant optimism is finally being ceremoniously recognized. On the cover, the Pigeon wears a mortarboard at a jaunty angle, commenting, “I have the hat!” Of course, dressing the part is essential. But also, “I did the work. I paid attention to the little details. I took some BIG steps.” The Pigeon encountered obstacles (not shown, but many memorable ones will come to mind for the Pigeon's followers). And the Pigeon is plagued by worries familiar to many students who are about to graduate: “WHAT WILL HAPPEN THEN?!? What will I do? Who will I be?” The Pigeon appears in every frame, in close-ups and in poses variously thoughtful, confident, or slightly distressed. Our hero’s simple big eyes and wings are, as ever, remarkably expressive. “Oop!” In one scene, while walking off the dais, diploma in wing, the Pigeon comes to what seems like the edge of a chasm. At last, our hero takes flight with other graduates. Willems' popular characters Gerald and Piggie are there to look on admiringly.
An earnest graduation gift: sweet for lifelong fans, cheerfully encouraging for striving, future graduates. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781454960430
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending.
Don’t let the Pigeon ruin his own special day!
Anyone who has ever encountered the title character in any of his books—whether his first, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (2003), or one of its many sequels—will understand that the bird’s innate self-love drives his every interaction. Little wonder, then, that he’s thrilled about his own “bird-day.” He has the hat. He has his “FANCY PLUMAGE.” And, best of all, he will get to blow out a candle “on my bird-day hot dog!” As he revels in the knowledge that this day is all for him, comeuppance is lurking. Someone has already blown out the bird-day candle—and eaten half the hot dog. It turns out that the Pigeon’s frenemy, the Duckling, has the same bird-day—as do a slew of newly hatched chicks. The Pigeon’s obligatory eight-panel freakout ensues. “What am I—invisible? I just want to be seen,” he whimpers, and when he receives some much-needed reassurance, he settles down and willingly shares his special day. While the switch from unapologetic narcissism to mature acceptance happens in the record-breaking span of two pages, the book is as enchanting as the Pigeon’s earlier outings. Even as it walks in the footsteps of its predecessors, there’s no denying the fun to be had.
Familiarity breeds a birthday for the ages in this party worth attending. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9781454999621
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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