Squirrels win the day (and the birdseed) in this enjoyable outdoor adventure.
A food-loving squirrel gets creative in Tremwel’s wildlife picture book.
Stanley is just one of the many gray squirrels who live in the woods of Mount Sequoyah in Arkansas. While the other squirrels have washboard bellies, Stanley is round, with a broad bottom; he loves to eat. Every year on Mount Sequoyah, the squirrels compete in a sit-up contest to determine who will be the king of the hill. Stanley’s cousin, Livingston, is always the winner, whereas Stanley can barely do two sit-ups before he’s tuckered out. When new humans move into the neighborhood, they want to feed the birds. The squirrels, after seeing Stanley raid the bird feeder, soon figure out how to get to the birdseed. The humans are displeased: “They’ll eat us out of house and home!” the narrator bemoans. A Squirrel Bann Bird Feeder does the trick, repelling most of the squirrels, but Stanley isn’t ready to call it quits. Soon, he realizes that if he stretches just so, he can shake the birdseed loose. The other squirrels give a big hurrah for Stanley, and even the humans don’t mind so much, since Stanley’s the only squirrel who can manage it. Tremwel uses a first-person narrative voice to describe the area around his home and the silly squirrel that captured his attention. Interspersed with Moody’s black-and-white cartoon illustrations (with very well-defined, body-builder abs on all the squirrels but Stanley) are photographs of the real Stanley, getting up to his antics. Tremwel describes the wildlife with affection, even when the critters are stealing the birdseed, and readers will be able to vividly imagine the sights and sounds from his deck. The cast, including a daring raccoon who’s also partial to birdseed, an owl, and many unnamed birds, make up a backyard bestiary that young animal lovers are sure to enjoy.
Squirrels win the day (and the birdseed) in this enjoyable outdoor adventure.Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2024
ISBN: 9798989440610
Page Count: 46
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Feb. 20, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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