Merry and bright.
The joy of giving permeates Lucy’s first Christmas with her unicorn in this series third after A New Friend for Sparkle (2017).
Sparkle is back and is still more goatlike than equine, but little Lucy thinks he’s just perfect. She’s excited to teach him all about Christmas and explains that “best of all, it means Christmas PRESENTS! Lots and lots of PRESENTS!” Lucy gives Sparkle an allowance and her wish list so he can get gifts for her, and then she heads off to buy him presents. Readers are privy to the little unicorn’s failure to follow through on the task and then to how Lucy tirelessly gives him the benefit of the doubt. But when Sparkle knocks over the Christmas tree and eats the stockings, Lucy loses her temper. Her outburst makes Sparkle cry “big, magical rainbow unicorn tears.” Lucy feels terrible and apologizes, acknowledging that Sparkle “didn’t mean to hurt [her] feelings.” And then, lo and behold, there is a gift under the tree from Sparkle—a tiny golden box that on a wordless spread opens to release a rainbow and a flight of butterflies, birds, and (of course) sparkles and hearts. Readers will flip back to the vignettes that depict Sparkle failing to shop and reassess their lack of faith. Lucy is a little girl of color with light brown skin and springy black hair.
Merry and bright. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-374-30813-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A wandering effort, happy but pointless.
The perfect book for kids who love dragons and mild tacos.
Rubin’s story starts with an incantatory edge: “Hey, kid! Did you know that dragons love tacos? They love beef tacos and chicken tacos. They love really big gigantic tacos and tiny little baby tacos as well.” The playing field is set: dragons, tacos. As a pairing, they are fairly silly, and when the kicker comes in—that dragons hate spicy salsa, which ignites their inner fireworks—the silliness is sillier still. Second nature, after all, is for dragons to blow flames out their noses. So when the kid throws a taco party for the dragons, it seems a weak device that the clearly labeled “totally mild” salsa comes with spicy jalapenos in the fine print, prompting the dragons to burn down the house, resulting in a barn-raising at which more tacos are served. Harmless, but if there is a parable hidden in the dragon-taco tale, it is hidden in the unlit deep, and as a measure of lunacy, bridled or unbridled, it doesn’t make the leap into the outer reaches of imagination. Salmieri’s artwork is fitting, with a crabbed, ethereal line work reminiscent of Peter Sís, but the story does not offer it enough range.
A wandering effort, happy but pointless. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3680-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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