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MY LITTLE SMALL

Generously open to young readers’ interpretations, this Swedish import lingers

A stony, lonely, mountain-dwelling Creature longs for companionship.

Prime’s translation conveys Stark’s fey tale to English-speaking readers with understated whimsy. Immured in her cave during the day to escape the harmful rays of the sun, the Creature thinks the world outside is as gray as her cave. She “dreams of the moon and of having someone small to sing to and care for.” At night, she emerges. She tries to swim to the moon, but it “shatter[s] into a thousand gleams.” She sings, “GRRR,” and blows spit bubbles as she looks up at it. The Creature is intemperate in her loneliness, and young readers will understand how her grumpiness leads her to pound the walls. Then a stray sun spark flies into her cave and becomes, for a single day, the Creature’s new Little Small. They aren’t really compatible at all, but the Creature does her best to understand the spark, who shows her the world’s colors and describes its landscapes and inhabitants. While their relationship is as evanescent as, well, a spark, it is nevertheless transformative for both; the Creature can now see colors, and the tiny spark sings a farewell “GRR” as it travels back to the Sun, lofted up in a spit bubble. Bondestam’s collage illustrations depict the Creature as a gray, pear-shaped figure with pointy teeth that somehow don’t seem scary at all.

Generously open to young readers’ interpretations, this Swedish import lingers . (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: March 27, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-59270-209-1

Page Count: 52

Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books

Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

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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WHY A DAUGHTER NEEDS A MOM

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.

All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.

Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.

New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)

Pub Date: May 1, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

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