This Swiss-German import—originally written in English—delivers little other than a troubling crying-isn’t-OK message.
As in their previous outing, Five Little Ducklings Go to Bed (2013), all it takes is for one sibling to lose their cool about starting school, and the rest follow.
Although four of these little yellow ducklings are excited about donning their black-and-white–striped neckties and heading off to school, the fifth one’s tears and declaration that they’ll miss their mother are enough to get the waterworks flowing in all five. But mama duck pauses only a moment before kissing them all, telling them not to cry, reassuring them that it’s OK to miss someone and that they’ll remain in “each other’s hearts,” all the while continuing the morning routine and leading the ducklings to join other animal children at school. The five, who haven’t looked sad for several pages, “wiped their eyes, / Waddled off to school with their heads held high,” subtly sending the message that crying isn’t OK and must be suppressed. They all have a great day; indeed, there’s nary a tear from any of the new students, rather unrealistic for the first day of school. Roth’s verses are a bit rough; both the rhyme and rhythm frequently off. Julian’s ducklings are differentiated by their various hats but are otherwise interchangeable, and though the school scenes are delightful, the relationships among the ducks, which should be the foundation of the tale, aren’t demonstrably affectionate save for an ending family hug.
This Swiss-German import—originally written in English—delivers little other than a troubling crying-isn’t-OK message. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 23, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-7358-4346-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: May 11, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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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