Though it’s certainly well-meaning, it lacks the wit that brings such schoolroom dramas as Kevin Henkes’ and Peter McCarty’s...
Even in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals of all sorts, Agatha stands out.
She has her mom’s piggy ears and her dad’s bearish nose, and even at family gatherings, she doesn’t quite fit in. At her first birthday party, all the bears from her dad’s side of the family stand on verso, and all the pigs from her mother’s side stand on recto, with a smiling Agatha in the middle. Standing among her easily identifiable, unispecies kindergarten classmates, she realizes she’s “a little different from everyone else.” When their teacher asks each of her students what makes them special, Agatha is so mortified that she hides. But everyone misses her, and when she pops out from her hiding place, her classmates find many things about her special: most of all, Agatha is best at “being Agatha.” The illustrations resemble pencil drawing with touches of color, and the animals look more alike than different, which may be the point. The story doesn’t have much of a dramatic arc; celebrating Agatha’s difference is its main point. Agatha herself is certainly endearing, with her green dress and red shoes and winsome expression, but a teacher asking each child what makes them special—using the tired “special snowflake” cliché—is an idea fraught with pitfalls.
Though it’s certainly well-meaning, it lacks the wit that brings such schoolroom dramas as Kevin Henkes’ and Peter McCarty’s alive. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0096-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2015
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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Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
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