Sure to tickle more than a few ribs.
An unlikely pair finds an enterprising approach to acquiring a vehicle.
Round-headed, flat-faced Sloth and small, wiry, gray Squirrel are friends. When Squirrel sees a tandem bike zip past their tree, he wants one immediately. He wants to “go FAST!” Sloth at first only opens an eye to see what’s up but goes along (“s-l-o-w-l-y”) to the bike shop with his friend. Squirrel and Sloth discover that bicycles are expensive, so they take on a job as pickle packers to earn enough to buy one. The pickle-packer manager, a magnificent blue-feathered peacock, is not impressed with their work. However, he pays them—mostly in pickles—and Sloth, the thinker to Squirrel’s doer, comes up with an idea that pays off. When Sloth’s tropical ice pop plops to the ground (because he eats very s-l-o-w-l-y), he invents a new treat. The success of their pickle-pop business means that Sloth and Squirrel can successfully address their need for speed in a way that doesn’t put Sloth to sleep. Mealey’s entertainingly silly, original plot includes plenty of dialogue and subtle wordplay, both visual and textual. Collier’s low-key palette and expressively droll cartoon characters keep each double-page spread lively. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Sure to tickle more than a few ribs. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0238-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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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