A charming back-to-school book for the nervous octopus in all of us.
A child helps their octopus with first-day-of-school jitters.
“Hearing the word ‘school’ might make him nervous,” the narration warns. “He would much rather stay home with you and play hide-and-seek or dress up.” The anthropomorphic octopus is cute as a button, sometimes in a black cap and sometimes in shifting hues, if he is concealing himself. A nameless, light-skinned child with long pigtails is the patient caretaker, withstanding the octopus’ suction cups and coaxing him toward a breakfast of toast with “mystery mollusk” spread. Some illustration elements have a colored-pencil feel, conveying warm feelings through a bright palette. Relatable concerns, like meeting new people, choosing the right outfit, and running late, are entertaining and even funny; in one memorable moment, the octopus produces ink in fear and evades the child’s efforts. The inking moment is awarded a full spread, encouraging readers to pause to discuss their own first-day-of-school worries. The matter-of-fact text will easily pull anyone into this alternate version of the world, where octopuses play with stuffed toys, draw at easels, and hug their humans goodbye. As a bonus, the book does not reference a specific school level, making it accessible for a wide range of young children. A list of octopus facts after the story will help caregivers distinguish between truth and fiction presented in the narrative. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A charming back-to-school book for the nervous octopus in all of us. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9780593205228
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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