A fine feline friendship tale for storytime
Catty characters learn to play nice.
Two anthropomorphic cats, Bella and Anna, play together, with the former looking up to the latter and copying her every move. It’s all fun and games until they play princesses and there’s only one crown. Anna selfishly seizes it, yelling at Bella: “Stop copying me! I’m the princess. And it’s my crown!” Poor Bella is bereft when Anna flounces off, but she quickly recovers when she finds a jump-rope. Then a new cat, Chloe, comes along, and Bella says “Just copy me!” to invite her to learn how to skip rope, too. Bella’s generosity and friendliness later extend to the crowned Anna, who soon tires of playing princess by herself and joins them in jumping rope. “Just copy us!” Bella and Chloe say, and the three cats jump rope together. When Chloe has the bright idea to tie their separate ropes together, the feline friends’ play becomes truly collaborative, setting the stage for engagement in many different activities on ensuing spreads. A concluding introduction of a new friend, daredevil Dotty on a skateboard, suggests that there’s much more fun in store for all. Throughout, Pye’s digital illustrations add to the playful tone of the book, with bold colors and shapes defining the big-eyed cats and giving a retro feel to the flat visual aesthetic.
A fine feline friendship tale for storytime . (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 22, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9935-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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