A fun read-aloud beat, but the illustrations shine.
An ode to friendship.
Two siblings, presumed twins since they are in the same class and (spoiler alert) share a birthday in the end, go about their day and meet all kinds of friends. An animated tempo carries them through. With a yawn and stretch in the morning (“Our friends, best friends / those who wake us up friends!”); playful classroom antics in between (“Singing friends, dancing friends / hopping, skipping, jumping friends”); and a stop in the park after school (“Furry friends, feathered friends / lots of very hungry friends”), these two tots have a busy day. True to life, not all aspects of friendship are positive: A recess spread shows one child snatching the ball from another (“Funny friends, silly friends / sometimes not so kind friends”), but the rhythm bounces merrily along past any small squabbles. While not discrediting the good intentions of the text, the laundry list of friendship doesn’t add much to the conversation. The illustrations, however, show a peek into a truly varied and diverse set of friends. Children of many races are represented, along with one child of color in a wheelchair (throughout the entire story) and another child of color using a white cane. Even the adults, in various teacher and parent roles, show a wide representation. The protagonist pair have olive skin and straight, black hair, in contrast with their White-appearing dad. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.8-by-19.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 19.4% of actual size.)
A fun read-aloud beat, but the illustrations shine. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-78628-466-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
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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