A visually appealing but overall lackluster attempt to explore the complexity of bad feelings.
A lost toy triggers a swath of emotions.
Lavender endpapers share a preview of anthropomorphized feelings, some of whom readers will meet in the book. As the book opens, a child plays with their favorite toy, Funn, an action figure with dark brown skin, while Happiness, a large, open-mouthed yellow creature, tags along. When Funn is lost one morning, however, Worry takes over. Then the narrator becomes Scared, and Anger follows. When the child realizes that Funn is broken, they initially blame little sister Katie—but soon feel Guilt when they discover that Dad is responsible. Enter Embarrassment and Sadness, but Katie shows the protagonist Kindness, and soon all is well. The emotions are depicted as solidly colored blobs set against negative space that makes them pop. The design is a thoughtful mix of cartoon speech bubbles, plain text, and onomatopoeia in large font. However, despite the enjoyably hyperbolic responses of the emotions, it’s a fairly simplistic take on a complicated topic. Negative emotions dominate until the conclusion, at which point the conflict wraps up far too neatly. Fans of the author’s other books—The Yawns Are Coming! (2020), The Giggles Are Coming! (2021)—may enjoy this one, but it’ll likely leave most readers cold. Human characters have light brown skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A visually appealing but overall lackluster attempt to explore the complexity of bad feelings. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 9, 2023
ISBN: 9780593616611
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Rocky Pond Books/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Jan. 17, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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