A charming tale of camaraderie and friendship.
A cat and a gargoyle guard their home and become pals in this illustrated children’s book.
A skittish white cat named Spooky roams the grounds of her new home. She is intrigued by Eben, the gargoyle hovering by the gates out front. But when she approaches the statue, Eben tells her to leave because he works best guarding the house alone. Still, Spooky continues to visit him. Although Eben mostly ignores her, the little cat feels secure next to him as it enables her to be “close enough to watch the outside world from the safety of the grounds.” After she is chased by a dog, Spooky is appreciative when Eben comes to her rescue. Though he brushes her off and claims he was just doing his job, Eben becomes less gruff over time. He even offers Spooky tips to boost her self-confidence (“The trick is to LOOK confident, even if you’re scared”). One day, a large dog tries to play with Eben, nearly knocking him over. Spooky scares the pooch away. Eben is relieved and thankful for his feline friend’s action. Although the gargoyle is shown as a stone statue in the pictures, he is depicted as a talking creature in Traver’s story. Still, the overall tale about two unlikely friends who help each other is effective, relatable, and will appeal to young readers. The striking images by debut illustrator Dahlenburg mostly mirror the text. They show the sweet-looking cat juxtaposed with darker scenery like shadowy hallways and elements such as brick, gates, and greenery.
A charming tale of camaraderie and friendship.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-578-56697-9
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Thousand Acre Woods Books
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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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