Comfortable.
In his third outing (Room for Bear, 2015; Bear Is Not Tired, 2016), Bear learns to share jam and eat his vegetables.
On a grocery outing with his duck family, Bear first tastes jam (a detail cleverly shown in an illustration before the title page). Bear loves jam so much he forgets to share, eats it at inappropriate times, and, worst of all, refuses to eat anything but jam. Mama Duck decrees no more jam until the vegetables are eaten. Bear goes to bed hungry and his “tummy growled so loudly he couldn’t sleep,” but he still refuses to eat anything but jam. Boy Duck and Girl Duck to the rescue! They invent games that coax Bear into inadvertently eating his vegetables, and contentment reigns again. Gavin’s tranquil watercolor illustrations, rendered in pastel washes, give the story an overall impression of serenity even when Bear is behaving badly. The illustrations are presented in a variety of formats—spot illustrations, double-page spreads, and single-page spreads that blend seamlessly and rarely fail to take advantage of the visual humor inherent in a family of small white ducks with one very large bear. The story’s lessons—share, and eat your vegetables—are delivered painlessly and good-humoredly, and Gavin’s bear and ducks are cute as buttons. (Although the ducks occasionally verge on too cute when they imitate Bear’s antics.) The front and back endpapers add nice details to the narrative.
Comfortable. (Picture book. 2-5)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-55179-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2016
An upbeat Easter outing with a beloved character.
Pookie celebrates Easter with a play date and holiday activities.
Pookie’s friend Bean, a gray puppy, comes over for Easter fun that includes lots of bouncing around and egg decorating. After Bean goes home, Pookie gets excited about the Easter Bunny’s arrival and goes to sleep dreaming of a large chocolate egg. Like the other Pookie books before it, this one is told in rhyme from the perspective of a loving grown-up addressing the little pig, which keeps the pace moving and makes for a great read-aloud. Bean and Pookie are realistically—and endearingly—childlike, from Pookie’s pronunciation of yellow as “lellow!” to the joyful mess they make while decorating eggs. There are plenty of sweet and festive touches, such as the bunny ears that Bean and Pookie (and Pookie’s teddy) wear and the daffodils painted on the end of Pookie’s bed. The illustrations include large, full-page images as well as smaller vignettes against solid backgrounds. One page shows Pookie and parent looking out the window at the moon, anticipating Easter’s spoils. For fans of Boynton and little Pookie, this Easter tale is exactly as expected: a touch of playfulness, a relatable story, and comfort in the familiar. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An upbeat Easter outing with a beloved character. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-66592-838-0
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Boynton Bookworks
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
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