Charming for coastal ferry-riding kids but less enticing for the landlocked.
A nautical reminder that there is value in different strengths and skills.
Little Ferry is patient, steadfast, and punctual, but she longs to be fast and noisy like Speedboat, blithe and lithe as Sailboat, or even bold and fearless like Tugboat. But try as she might, Little Ferry can’t quite emulate the other vessels. Unsurprisingly, it’s not long before an emergency arises and Little Ferry uses her strengths to save the day. A mixture of double-page spreads and smaller panels pop with bright blue, nautical red, and crisp white. The linework is pleasing and supports the overall graphic design tone with familiar elements of both Virginia Burton's and Stephen Savage's works. Human sightseers have a variety of skin tones and hair colors. The big eyes, tiny mouths, and pink cheeks of the anthropomorphized watercraft are pleasant but lack emotional expression at times. The plot is well worn and devoid of novel twists, though the brief, descriptive narrative is suitable for reading aloud to ferry-frenzied little ones. However, it likely won’t resonate with youngsters with limited boating exposure, and the story and artwork aren’t quite strong enough to make this a compelling introduction to the topic for those readers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Charming for coastal ferry-riding kids but less enticing for the landlocked. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8769-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
A forgettable effort that fails to capture any of the magical charm of Santa’s story. (Picture book. 3-6)
Wallace and Elkerton continue their series about catching elusive mythical creatures (How to Catch a Leprechaun, 2016, etc.) with this Christmas story about an elf who must avoid traps constructed by children before Santa’s annual visit.
The unnamed elf narrator is the sole helper traveling with Santa on his delivery rounds on Christmas Eve, with each house featuring a different type of trap for elves. The spunky elf avoids a mechanical “elf snatcher,” hidden in a plate of cookies, as well as simple traps made of tinsel, double-sided tape, and a cardboard box concealing a mean-looking cat. Another trap looks like a bomb hidden in a box of candy, and a complicated trap in a maze has an evil cowboy clown with a branding iron, leading to the elf’s cry, “Hey, you zapped my tushy!” The bomb trap and the branding iron seem to push the envelope of child-made inventions. The final trap is located in a family grocery store that’s booby-trapped with a “Dinner Cannon” shooting out food, including a final pizza that the elf and Santa share. The singsong, rhyming text has a forced cheeriness, full of golly-jolly-holly Christmas spirit and too many exclamation marks, as well as rhyming word pairs that miss the mark. (No, little elf-boy, “smarter” and “harder” do not rhyme.) Bold, busy illustrations in a cartoon style have a cheeky appeal with a focus on the freckle-faced white elf with auburn curls and a costume with a retro vibe. (Santa is also white.)
A forgettable effort that fails to capture any of the magical charm of Santa’s story. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4631-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
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
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