This picture book about an interspecies friendship has plenty of lessons for humans, too.
In the middle of a frozen ocean, curious Narwhal goes exploring.
At first, every wonderful thing he sees is somewhat familiar; he spies arctic char and cod, a seal, a caribou, and seabirds swooping through what appear to be the northern lights. Before he knows it, though, Narwhal has wandered so far that he can’t find a single other narwhal anywhere. After a close run-in with the propeller of a boat, a nervous Narwhal runs into a pod of white whales. Although none of them has a tusk, they do seem to be similar enough to Narwhal that they could be potential friends. As Narwhal spends more time with the whales, he becomes overwhelmed with their differences: Narwhal speaks a different language, doesn’t know the whales’ song, and eats different fish than they do. But then, slowly, Narwhal gets to know his new friends—and realizes that they have much more in common than he first believed. Based on a true story about a narwhal who wandered so far away from its arctic home that it ended up joining a pod of beluga whales, this rhyming story of a real-life friendship is compelling not only for its plot, but also for its underlying message about how diversity makes us stronger. The illustrations make use of a varied, watery color palette to give the story a truly marine feel.
This picture book about an interspecies friendship has plenty of lessons for humans, too. (note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77164-620-8
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground.
A little red sleigh has big Christmas dreams.
Although the detailed, full-color art doesn’t anthropomorphize the protagonist (which readers will likely identify as a sled and not a sleigh), a close third-person text affords the object thoughts and feelings while assigning feminine pronouns. “She longed to become Santa’s big red sleigh,” reads an early line establishing the sleigh’s motivation to leave her Christmas-shop home for the North Pole. Other toys discourage her, but she perseveres despite creeping self-doubt. A train and truck help the sleigh along, and when she wishes she were big, fast, and powerful like them, they offer encouragement and counsel patience. When a storm descends after the sleigh strikes out on her own, an unnamed girl playing in the snow brings her to a group of children who all take turns riding the sleigh down a hill. When the girl brings her home, the sleigh is crestfallen she didn’t reach the North Pole. A convoluted happily-ever-after ending shows a note from Santa that thanks the sleigh for giving children joy and invites her to the North Pole next year. “At last she understood what she was meant to do. She would build her life up spreading joy, one child at a time.” Will she leave the girl’s house to be gifted to other children? Will she stay and somehow also reach ever more children? Readers will be left wondering. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 31.8% of actual size.)
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72822-355-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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