Friendship trumps greed in this satisfying tale.
A resourceful feline comes to the aid of a shoemaker.
With no orders to work on, the poor shoemaker shares his last meager meal with his cat. The cat, however, has a better idea. With a brand new pair of stylish red boots on his own two feet, he sets out for the local monster’s castle deep in the dark woods. There, he proceeds to cater to the greedy monster, who “must have the right shoes to match whatever creature he turned himself into.” There are lace-ups for when he becomes a zebra, high boots for when he is a bear and clogs for his time as a baboon. The monster, however, does not care to pay for any of the footwear, so the cat has the shoemaker fashion a pair of the very finest and tiniest shoes, fit for a mouse. And the rest is the best sort of fairy-tale ending. Monster becomes mouse; mouse becomes a meal for cat—and the shoemaker, now busy at work in the castle, and his cat fare very well indeed. Imai skillfully blends elements of popular stories into a fresh, clean tale, abetted by translator Uchida and adapter Westerlund. Her sophisticated artwork uses linear design to great effect by highlighting size differences and perspectives. The muted palette of greens, browns and oranges lends a slightly mysterious air.
Friendship trumps greed in this satisfying tale. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-988-8240-71-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: minedition
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2014
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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