Easy-to-read stories that strain to be amusing.
Odd housemates adjust to extremely cramped real estate.
Moving into a two-room house, Bat, Cat, and Rat agree that “sharing is nice” but immediately claim their own space. Cat takes the upstairs room, while Rat opts for the one downstairs, leaving only the under-stair closet (shades of Harry Potter) for Bat. When Bat happily exclaims that “UNDER the stairs is THE BEST!” the friends look skeptical—until they see Bat hanging upside down in the cavelike space. In the second story, practical jokester Rat scares Cat with a rubber spider. Bat pretends to eat it, scaring Rat. Alone, Bat repeats Rat’s dubious claim: “Joking is fun!” The third story finds Cat cozily settled in a chair with a book. When Cat accuses Rat and Bat of trying to sneak peeks, they admit shamefacedly that they can’t yet read. So they share the chair and “read their very first word: ‘HAT!’” It turns out that “reading together is the BEST EVER.” In the underwhelming final entry (referred to as “story #3-and-a-half”), for unclear reasons, all three cram into the bare closet to sleep; it doesn’t look at all cozy. The larger-than-life, upright, anthropomorphic animals are set mostly against plain backgrounds; they’re personable rather than cute. The simple language is ideal for burgeoning readers, though the jokes are rather one-note.
Easy-to-read stories that strain to be amusing. (Easy reader/picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781665930420
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
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
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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