A treacly take on the forbidden-garden narrative.
A slug saves the day for some hungry friends.
Sylvia, a small slug who likes to practice yoga and consider “the promise of a new day,” eyes the lush flower and vegetable garden that a bespectacled, olive-skinned, dark-haired child and adult tend. When Sylvia’s friends—Deer, Rabbit, and Crow—invade the garden and try to steal some of its bounty, the humans shoo them away and install a scarecrow and a sign: “KEEP OUT!” Sylvia determines to help her friends gain access. Despite her friends’ skepticism (she can’t leap, dart, or fly, after all), Sylvia slips under the garden fence and, using her best yoga moves, writes a cursive “PLEASE” in the dirt, which inspires in the humans an act of beneficence: They place carrots, peas, and corn outside the garden fence for the creatures to eat (along with a new sign that reads, “Welcome Everyone”). Illustrations depict Sylvia as spotted with two large cartoon eyes atop her antennae. Following the story is an author’s note that includes facts about slugs. But any child wanting to learn more about slugs would do well to find an informational book instead of one that anthropomorphizes them—and that imparts such an earnest and somewhat overbearing message (one that altogether skirts the food chain) about kindness. Yoga fans may get a kick out of a slug mastering a locust pose, but otherwise the story lacks luster.
A treacly take on the forbidden-garden narrative. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-51328-949-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: West Margin Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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