The Swedish duo that produced the popular Sam books team up for their third book featuring the mischievous and appealing bullterrier Rosa (Rosa Moves to Town, 1997, etc.). Once again, the perky puppy stands in for the average preschooler, as she struggles mightily with the issues of self-control, curiosity, and courage. Rosa’s human “aunt” needs to have Rosa cared for during the day and selects a doggy day-care center for her charge. Youngsters will quickly discover that Rosa’s day-care experiences parallel their own: she has to manage the unique personalities and quirks of her companions while adapting to new routines and rituals. However, a story that begins quietly as a sweet, quotidian catalogue of the day-care experience takes an anxious and scary turn at the close. While on a walk in the park with her doggy companions and their caretaker ladies, the adventurous and ever-curious Rosa ventures onto a frozen pond to investigate the catch of some ice fishermen. She promptly falls through the fishing hole into the freezing-cold water. The fishermen grab Rosa by the ears and pull her to safety. Back at day care, Rosa, now safe and warm, cuddles with her friends until her aunt comes to take her home. All’s well, etc. Eriksson’s soft colored-pencil drawings are rich in endearing details. Rosa and her companions are smartly rendered, with far more fully formed personalities than their human companions. The text is dense on the page when compared with the typical American picture book, and this Rosa story is better shared on the lap than with a group. Best for established fans. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: May 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-88899-391-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2000
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
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