This German import (by way of Scotland) is sweet as tea cakes.
Something is amiss in Berry Woods!
Evie the Strawberry Fairy’s magic wand has gone missing, and then Evie notices her strawberries have turned bright blue. This latter occurrence is the titular “strawberry surprise,” and Evie is curious but not alarmed. The same can’t be said of three friends—an unnamed hedgehog, Summer the Sunshine Fairy, and Laurel the Tree Sprite—who all come to Evie voicing fears about “a scary Hogwitchit [who] has moved into Berry Woods.” Summer is fearful after seeing a strange shadow, Laurel’s hair is stained orange, and the hedgehog has red splotches all over his quills. Resourceful Evie packs a bag with supplies that end up coming in handy when she and her friends go off in search of the Hogwitchit. Lo and behold, it’s actually a vole who prides himself on his berry jam. They quickly discover that the vole mistook Evie’s magic wand for a spoon and has been using it to try to make jam, and this mix-up explains all the strange surprises and changes the friends have experienced. Evie quickly puts things to rights and gifts the vole a trowel he can use as a spoon. Everyone enjoys jam cookies at book’s end. Dahle’s illustrations are as cozy as her story, the interiors of these woodland homes snug melds of nature and found human objects. The animals are lightly anthropomorphized; humanoid characters present White.
This German import (by way of Scotland) is sweet as tea cakes. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-78250-638-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Floris
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
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
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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