Three fantastical tales with vivid images but uneven execution.
Debut author Fisher offers a trio of whimsical illustrated tales for children.
In “The Star Who Lost His Twinkle” the titular luminary has lost his shine and can’t get it back despite his friends’ and family’s best efforts. The star goes off by himself to find Polaris and a being called the Twinkle Man in hopes of regaining his twinkle. “The Butterfly Who Wanted To Hit a Home Run” features protagonist Wheatley Summerfield, freshly hatched from her cocoon, who’s struck with the burning desire to play baseball after witnessing a game. Other bugs protest that “BUTTERFLIES DO NOT PLAY BASEBALL!” Disheartened at first, Wheatley soon finds allies, and they plan to introduce baseball to the other insects. “The Tea Maker” follows a star named El who stumbles upon a fairy named Sprang and is invited to a tea party. At the party, El feels comfortable enough to disclose how alone she’s felt living with different foster stars. She’s invited to live with the fairies in the star-filled heavens and eventually meets a deity of sorts known as Tea Maker, among other names. This story’s spiritual message is different from the previous two, which focus more effectively on themes of inner strength. MacLean’s painterly, full-color illustrations are lovely, with a cheerful style and well-balanced color palettes that bring the text to life. However, the first and last tale prominently feature star imagery, while the story about insects employs a different illustration style that doesn’t mesh well. In addition, all the stories are text heavy; a stronger edit might have avoided the use of daunting paragraphs.
Three fantastical tales with vivid images but uneven execution.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2022
ISBN: 9781039112674
Page Count: 60
Publisher: FriesenPress
Review Posted Online: Dec. 21, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones.
Not even the arrival of autumn can cool down this impetuous squirrel.
Although Squirrel is skeptical about Bird’s vegetable patch (“Nothing is HAPPENING!”), Bird does produce five (count them) lovely pumpkins. Squirrel picks out a favorite: “The enormous orange one.” Bird hints that Squirrel might want to help out; Squirrel sets out to fetch some work gloves and returns to find only four pumpkins. The frequently distracted Squirrel notices more gourds disappearing and leaps to the conclusion that a thief is near. And where’s Bird?! Has Squirrel’s pal also been taken? Diligently detecting, Squirrel finds clues—peck marks, footprints, and more—and produces a sketch of the suspect. As readers will guess, each clue turns out to point to one of Squirrel and Bird’s friends. Turns out Bird was delivering pumpkins to their pals while saving the big one to give to “my very best friend,” Squirrel. But why does Squirrel haul it up a tree? “So the Pumpkin Thief can’t find it, of course!” A page of pumpkin facts provides the learning component common to all titles in this series. Once more, readers will enjoy the pleasure of prediction and repetition, Squirrel’s silly persistence, Bird’s generosity, and the vibrant color illustrations, balancing orange with green.
More fun antics to satisfy returning fans and snag new ones. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781464268076
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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