by Catherine Rayner ; illustrated by Catherine Rayner ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2024
It takes no guesswork to understand just how endearing this friendship truly is.
The protagonists of Molly, Olive, and Dexter Play Hide-and-Seek (2023) take part in the “loveliest game in the world.”
Molly the hare, Olive the owl, and Dexter the fox are good friends, but it’s Olive who’s fondest of guessing games. She entices her friends to play “GUESS WHAT?” Gazing skyward, Dexter begins by asking the other two what he’s thinking about. Molly immediately figures out that he’s thinking of the sky. It’s equally clear what Molly, her mouth full of delicious grass, is thinking of. When it’s Olive’s turn, she declares that she’s thinking of “TWO things at the same time.” Their frustration mounting, Molly and Dexter just can’t figure it out. To help them, Olive says that the two things are lovely. Lovelier than flowers, even. Some young readers will likely hit on the answer at the same time as the fox and the hare. Utterly comfortable in its own coziness, Rayner’s extraordinary, watercolorlike mixed-media art has a loose, sketchy quality that adds to its easygoing charm. Meanwhile, all this postulating is set against a backdrop of a summer’s day so beautiful that children will yearn to return again and again.
It takes no guesswork to understand just how endearing this friendship truly is. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2024
ISBN: 9781536234145
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
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by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024
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
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by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
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