No one may have asked this first-time author’s feline character if he wanted a brother, but that doesn’t keep him from roundly enjoying the miscreant’s antics and, ultimately, the pleasure of his company. Bo was king of the roost—“I slept, I played, I ate, and I slept some more. How could you beat that?” —when who should arrive unbidden in a carrying case but little Tiger, all full of vim and curiosity. It takes Bo just about a two-page spread (and seven days/vignettes) to comes to terms with his new circumstances, “By Sunday I just had to laugh” and then he joins in the pleasure of having someone to play with. That is the simple point of Henry’s brief tale. He doesn’t require heroics on the part of the newcomer or an outlandish working of fate to begrudge some acceptance; his message is to get with the program, show a measure of joy in the new guy’s existence, and everyone will be a whole lot happier. Which is not to say there will be no differences of opinion: “But please get off my head!” Henry’s artwork, with its electric colors and cartoon characters, has an antic charm as he depicts the two tossing socks, climbing the refrigerator, and sitting in the tub watching the water drip. A minor crisis—a missing Tiger—brings Bo back to each of their play spots and will bring readers back to the story. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: June 30, 2001
ISBN: 0-688-17865-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2001
Lola’s daddy takes her to the library every Saturday, where she finds “excellent books,” and every night her mommy or daddy reads them to her. The next day Lola acts out the story. On Sunday she’s a fairy princess; on Monday she takes her toy animals “on fantastic trips to places like Paris”; on Wednesday she’s a tiger, etc. Each new book and day provides Lola with a variety of tales to play out, with the last one—which is about a wild monster—posing the question, “What will Lola be tomorrow?” The final page shows her in a wolf suit just like Max’s. The library books, the pretending and the incorporation of the days of the week work together as a simple and pleasing premise. Beardshaw’s acrylic illustrations depict the multicultural kids and Lola’s black family with childlike charm, while the title will have librarians, parents and booksellers smiling. Alert: The book will be an invitation for lap kids to follow Lola’s lead—not such a bad thing. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58089-258-2
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2010
A funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end.
Something is preventing Owl from falling asleep.
Owl leans back against his white pillow and headboard. “Squeek!” says something underneath the bed. Owl’s never heard that sound before, so he fastens his pink bathrobe and answers the front door. Nobody. It must be the wind; back to bed. Bidding himself goodnight, he climbs into bed—and hears the noise again. Time after time, he pops out of bed seeking the squeaker. Is it in the cupboard? He empties the shelves. Under the floor? He pulls up his floorboards. As Owl’s actions ratchet up—he destroys the roof and smashes the walls, all in search of the squeak—so does his anxiety. Not until he hunkers down in bed under the night sky (his bed is now outdoors, because the house’s roof and walls are gone), frantically clutching his pillow, does he see what readers have seen all along: a small, gray mouse. In simple illustrations with black outlines, textured coloring, and foreshortened perspective, Pizzoli plays mischievously with mouse placement. Sometimes the mouse is behind Owl or just out of his sightline; other times, the mouse is on a solid, orange-colored page across the spread from Owl, which removes him from Owl’s scene in a rather postmodern manner. Is the mouse toying with Owl? Who knows?
A funny tale about stress and an ever upping ante, with a comforting end. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 19, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-1275-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
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