Some joyless adults will object to the “stinky baby” theme, but lots of kids will find the mischievous mayhem a refreshing...
Six-year-old Joy has a less-than-joyful attitude at Christmas due to her boisterous baby brother, Sam.
The text intersperses rhyming couplets with the familiar structure of the often-parodied Christmas song, but instead of a partridge in a pear tree, the repeated conclusion here is “a stinky baby messing with the tree.” Little Sam, who clearly needs more adult supervision, wreaks havoc on Joy’s Christmas decorations and activities, ripping open her wrapped gifts, eating the heads off her gingerbread men and snapping the wings off her beloved treetop angel. Joy huffs off to bed in a snit on Christmas Eve, but Christmas morning brings a happy resolution: All the broken items have been mended (where possible), and Sam says his first word, “Joy.” Computer-generated illustrations have moody, glowing lighting suited to Joy’s mercurial emotions, and creative use of swirling lines and jagged edges indicate the out-of-control nature of the household. Joy looks more like a teenager than a 6-year-old, and Sam is incredibly dexterous for his age, but the illustrations capture the bold baby’s impish transgressions with flair.
Some joyless adults will object to the “stinky baby” theme, but lots of kids will find the mischievous mayhem a refreshing alternative to sticky-sweet holiday stories. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0033-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2011
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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
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A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale.
The classic picture book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets a makeover for Easter as the letters of the alphabet locate and decorate eggs.
The mission is simple: “Chicka chicka peek peek. / Everybody seek seek! / Find all the eggs / in the pretty pink tree.” The letters are making their way up the flowering tree in search of the hidden eggs when a “SNEEZE!” scatters everyone and the eggs fall and crack. Luckily, a bunny hops by with a haul of new ones, which the letters then paint and bedazzle, eventually sharing the newly decorated eggs with a group of bunnies. This picture book is a successfully Easter-fied version of the original: The letters go up; the letters fall down. Truly, though, that’s all the preschool crowd needs. Chung’s illustrations are simple and familiar, a direct echo of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. The letters appear in colorful, bold, block form. The book has few added details, just focal images like the tree and its pink flowers, the colorful eggs, tufts of grass, and some friendly rabbits. The alphabet appears in order (both upper- and lowercase letters) at the book’s open and close. The rhyming text follows the iconic cadence of the source material, making for a worthy read-aloud that will keep little hands turning pages.
A sweet, springtime-themed reworking of a beloved tale. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
ISBN: 9781665990646
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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