Sure to soothe anyone who’s ever fretted about what’s out there in the dark.
In this follow-up to Wolfboy (2021), an innovative art technique jazzes up a familiar narrative.
After a long night of playing, Wolfboy and his rabbit friends head home. They hope to arrive before moonset, so Wolfboy advises that they use a shortcut “through the lair of the GRUMBLE MONSTER.” As the title suggests, Wolfboy is the one scared by this plan, not the rabbits. Harkness uses perspective to make Wolfboy and the rabbits seem very small as they enter the forest. Wolfboy thinks he sees the monster lurking behind trees, but the rabbits reassure him otherwise (those “claws” are just branches, and that “tail” is just a bramble vine). Readers, however, will notice parts of the monster’s large body in the foregrounds of the illustrations, unseen by the characters. The pacing recalls Julia Danielson and Axel Scheffler’s The Gruffalo, as the monster is revealed bit by bit, and when Wolfboy and the rabbits finally meet him, he’s not so scary after all. This twist brings to mind stories like Rachel Bright’s Love Monster (2012) or even Andrew Clement and Yoshi’s Big Al (1991), but the distinctive artwork sets Harkness’ picture book apart. The Claymation-like illustrations, which Harkness explains in a note he created using a virtual-reality headset, sculpting each page “in much the same way I would sculpt with real clay,” have a 3-D effect, like stills from stop-motion animation. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sure to soothe anyone who’s ever fretted about what’s out there in the dark. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0445-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
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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