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JASPER & OLLIE BUILD A FORT

From the Jasper & Ollie series

Friends build a fort and an even stronger relationship.

The mismatched pals from Jasper & Ollie (2019) are back.

Jasper, an impulsive, know-it-all fox, and chum Ollie, a deliberate sloth, decide to hold a fort-building contest. Or, rather, Jasper decides. The duo gets down to it. Jasper speedily and haphazardly slaps together a messy, precarious, dangerous-looking structure, adding to it an extra story, duct tape, and outlandish embellishments, including a moat and a self-aggrandizing statue. In contrast, Ollie gathers proper tools, consults a blueprint, then builds a fort slowly, carefully, and logically. Surprise! When Jasper’s masterpiece is revealed, it thunders to the ground, a casualty of overweight and faulty construction. Jasper’s disconsolate. The very embodiment of a great friend, Ollie consoles Jasper with an invitation into an impeccably built treehouse that, as a curtain reveals, has cozy “room for two.” In a most satisfying conclusion—and with an uncharacteristic admission—Jasper concedes that Ollie’s fort is best, though not without adding a “Jasper” to it. This is a rollicking story of two endearing friends pitted against each other in a comical non-competition, and readers, having recognized all along that this was never really a contest, will chuckle over Jasper’s raucous antics. The delightful, energetic illustrations depict Jasper’s riotous efforts on spreads and recto pages; Ollie’s labors appear on verso pages. Capitalized letters and onomatopoeic sound effects incorporated into the text heighten comedic appeal.

Friends build a fort and an even stronger relationship. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: May 26, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-525-64524-5

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020

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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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CARPENTER'S HELPER

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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