An uplifting story of resilience in the face of loss and natural disaster.
Struggling with the absence of their patriarch, a Puerto Rican family prepares for an impending hurricane.
Pedrito’s father has found work on the mainland and plans to bring the family there soon, but they miss him dearly. As they stock up on supplies and board up windows, Pedrito worries; that night, he dreams of a ferocious wolf chasing him as he attempts to save a helpless dog. The next morning, with the storm past, he and his older brother, Juan, rescue a small dog from the rubble. Pedrito quickly bonds with the pup; as he curls up with her in bed, the wolf from his nightmares is permanently banished. He’s heartbroken when she returns to her actual owner; he feels her absence—and his father’s—keenly. One night, Pedrito’s mother encourages him to sing, something he hasn’t done since his father left. The music lifts his spirits, and soon their neighbors join in, singing “Preciosa,” a love letter to Puerto Rico. As time goes on, the family is reunited, with an unexpected addition: one of the dog’s puppies, whom Pedrito names Preciosa. Featuring appealingly stylized, long-limbed characters, the artwork uses varied angles and compositions to chart Pedrito’s believable journey through hardship while conveying the healing power of community and music.
An uplifting story of resilience in the face of loss and natural disaster. (Picture book. 4-9)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9780593856802
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
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
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BOOK REVIEW
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