A light dose of problem-solving with a climactic dash of suspense, all tightly wrapped in warm feelings.
His classmates’ (understandable) reluctance to accept affectionate squeezes makes Wally the boa constrictor sad.
Wally—cast in Ashdown’s crayon-and-watercolor drawings as by far the largest student but with big eyeglasses that give him a particularly harmless look—gets lots of hugs at home. But when he tries to give Bella the mouse a birthday hug she flees into her cubby, and efforts with other members of his diverse animal class go similarly. “Just be your cuddly self, Wally,” advises his mom. “Soon your friends will let you hug.” The best he can get, though, is verbal praise from a distance until the teacher sees his tears and elicits from him a promise to hug gently. Nonetheless, in a closing twist (so to speak), Wally is so excited by the ensuing collective clinch that he gets carried away. The panicked expressions of his fellow students set up the final page, where Wally delivers not a bone-crushing squeeze but a big…wait for it…kiss. Whew! Young readers will have no trouble finding sympathy for points of view on both sides of the hug. The episode could also serve as a discussion starter about inappropriate displays of affection or general physical contact.
A light dose of problem-solving with a climactic dash of suspense, all tightly wrapped in warm feelings. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: June 6, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4998-0404-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
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
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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