Festive, spine-tingling fun.
Following I Got the Rhythm (2014), I Got the Christmas Spirit (2018), and I Got the School Spirit (2020), this husband-and-wife team keep the soulful vibes going with an ode to Halloween.
“I got the spooky spirit,” declares the young Black protagonist, hair in Afro puffs. The child whips up “a bubbling batch of brew,” decorates the house, dons a frightening costume (“complete with “BOO-licious face, FANG-tastic teeth, and witchy purple hair”), goes trick-or-treating, and bobs for apples and cuts loose at a Halloween party before going home…to eagerly anticipate the return of spooky season. This rollicking picture book features rhythmic, alliterative text that speaks to the senses. Setting the mood from the start, “a cool breeze blows crunchy leaves to the ground,” while “globs of stringy guts fall to the ground” as the child carves a pumpkin. Morrison’s signature oil paintings serve up all the exuberance, movement, and color that his fans have come to expect from his work. Making wonderful use of perspective, his detailed scenes each tell a story as younger siblings dart by in the background and trick-or-treaters stride by, decked out in their finest. Characters are racially diverse.
Festive, spine-tingling fun. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: July 23, 2024
ISBN: 9781547606993
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: April 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2024
This frenetic ode to fatherhood is predictable fare but may please series fans.
It’s time to look for the elusive Daddysaurus.
In this latest installment in the seemingly never-ending series about a group of diverse kids attempting to trap mythical creatures, the youngsters are now on the lookout for a big mauve dinosaur with an emblazoned D on his stomach and a superhero cape. The fast-moving Daddysaurus is always on the go; he will be difficult to catch. Armed with blueprints of possible ideas, the kids decide which traps to set. As in previous works, ones of the sticky variety seem popular. They cover barbells with fly paper (Daddysaurus like to exercise) and spread glue on the handle of a shovel (Daddysaurus also likes to garden). One clever trick involves tempting Daddysaurus with a drawing of a hole, taped to the wall, because he fixes everything that breaks. Daddysaurus is certainly engaged in the children’s lives, not a workaholic or absent, but he does fall into some standard tropes associated with fathers. The rhyming quatrains stumble at times but for the most part bounce along. Overall, though, text and art feel somewhat formulaic and likely will tempt only devotees of the series. The final page of the book (after Daddysaurus is caught with love) has a space for readers to write a note or draw a picture of their own Daddysaurus. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
This frenetic ode to fatherhood is predictable fare but may please series fans. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-72826-618-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2023
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It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property.
Since a reformed Grinch is hardly any fun, this follow-up Grinches him up once more.
Those seeking more of the same, prepare to receive precisely that. Christmas is coming (again!), and the Grinch can hardly wait. He’s been patient all year, and now he can finally show the Whos down in Who-ville how much he’s changed. When the Grinch learns of a tree-decorating contest, he figures that if he wins, it’ll prove he truly has the Christmas spirit. He throws himself into the task, but when it comes time to judge the trees, the Grinch is horrified to discover that he’s received only the second-place trophy. Can Cindy-Lou Who find the words to save the day? Replicating many of the original beats and wordplay of the original, this tale feels like less a sequel and more like a vaguely rewritten variation. Meanwhile, Ruiz’s art seeks to bridge the gap between the animated Chuck Jones version of the Grinch and the one depicted in the original book. This thankless task results in a strange uncanny valley between Seuss and Jones but does allow the artist a chance to colorize everything and lend some racial diversity to the Who population (Cindy-Lou is light-skinned). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593563168
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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