In the style of a pourquoi tale, the authors have crafted an explanation about how fireflies came to be. The one-of-a-kind squeegy bug knows he isn’t an ant, cricket, or flea. In fact, he doesn’t know what to call himself. When he meets Buzzer the Bumblebee, who has a stinger in his tail, the squeegy bug decides he would like to be a bee, too. He follows Buzzer’s advice and climbs toward the sky looking for a pair of silver wings like Buzzer’s. Caught in a rainstorm at the top of a cattail, he seeks help from the kindly caterpillar. The two travel to Haunchy the spider’s castle of webs to ask for a pair of wings, which he shapes from threads spun on his spinning wheel. It is Haunchy who points out that the bug isn’t a bumblebee and wasn’t meant to have a stinger. He pulls the brightest star from the sky, hangs it on the bug’s tail, and christens him Squeegy the Firefly, the Lamplighter of the Sky. Originally written when he was an Air Force Sergeant at the end of WWII, Martin’s (Rock It, Sock It, Number Line, p. 1128, etc.) illustrator was his brother Bernard. In this reissue, Corrigan’s illustrations are marvelously detailed, from Haunchy’s elaborate turban and king’s robe, to the acorn lantern of the top-hat-wearing caterpillar. Illustrations aside, it is plain that this was written before Martin really hit his stride with his perfectly cadenced rhymes. However, there will always be an audience for a new Bill Martin Jr., and this one fills the bill. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-890817-90-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2001
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
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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