A winsome, sporty tale, especially resonant for athletic newbies.
Mole is up to bat!
Summer means baseball, and these animals—whom readers may recognize from previous Bear and Mole books—are ready to play. Mole gets his bat out of its bag, rubs dirt on the handle, tugs on his cap, and heads to the baseball diamond, ready to hit a home run! “You’re a natural,” encourages Bear. But the Ump has some doubts and places a ball on a tee for Mole. Mole takes his first swing…and misses. Strike one! Bear offers some advice, and Mole tries again. Strike two! The Ump lends Mole a pair of glasses, and this time, the ball travels “UP-UP-UP” till it’s “GOING, GOING, GONE!” Mole runs the bases backward for “an opposite direction home run.” The animals celebrate a good game with ice cream and high-fives. With minimal text (which budding readers can attempt), this is a charming tale. Engaging use of sound effects makes the book a good option for read-alouds. Hillenbrand’s art often dominates the page with dramatic depictions of movement, while strong shading and textures elevate the images. The overall roundness of the cast (and the diminutive curves of the smaller animals) makes them endearing. Youngsters feeling a bit nervous to step up to the plate will take heart from Mole’s journey: Though he has a rocky beginning, he’s supported by BFF Bear each step of the way.
A winsome, sporty tale, especially resonant for athletic newbies. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9780823457823
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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