This low-key adventure is a pleasant diversion that effectively capitalizes on the appeal of timeless tales.
Artful illustrations, clever text, and echoes of traditional tales combine to elevate this somewhat familiar story of an intrepid young boar.
Allusions to folktales abound, from the opening (“Once upon a time”) to admonishments to beware of the Big Bad Wolf and to “stick to the path.” Perhaps the most charming and subtle connection is the unremarked-upon appearance of a frog sporting a small crown. Hogbert, our hero, has a rounded body, a sweet smile, and chipmunk-style stripes. Savvy listeners won’t be too surprised when Hogbert follows his snout and becomes separated from his family when the piglets explore the woods for the first time. Luckily, he soon finds some equally engaging companions, from Red, a squirrel on her way to visit her granny (hmm, sounds familiar), to a pair of lost rabbits named Hopsel and Nettle. Together the animals, who can speak but otherwise act in species-appropriate ways, journey through the forest and manage to evade a (not very big and apparently also lost) wolf cub. Smith’s relatively lengthy third-person narration flows smoothly and features a variety of evocative words and phrases, along with a bit of unexpected but particularly apt slang. “Smell you later!” is Hogbert’s farewell to his new friend Red. The skilled depiction of the sylvan setting includes lovely flowers, towering trees, and constantly shifting light and shadow.
This low-key adventure is a pleasant diversion that effectively capitalizes on the appeal of timeless tales. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781536245035
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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