A funny, creepy-crawly story about determination and inclusivity.
In Cino’s picture book, a persistent young girl wants a pet.
Imaginative elementary schooler Piper asks her parents every morning at breakfast for an animal to care for, but they downplay her request: “And every day, they have an excuse: ‘Too messy!’ ‘Too smelly!’ or ‘You’re not ready!’” Piper fears that she’ll have to stick to her stuffed dog, Duke, but she slowly welcomes a series of new creature visitors to the house. Squirrels are the first to appear, and she gives them acorns; they’re quickly followed by ants, to whom Piper serves peanut butter, and beetles, and who get a rubber duck to ride in the tub. Unsurprisingly, Piper’s parents aren’t happy about these developments. The chaotic week culminates in the grand opening of Piper’s Bugmore Bed and Breakfast in her grandmother’s antique dollhouse. Frogs, toads, and insects of all kinds take up residence there as a battle of wills between Piper and her parents comes to a head. Peres’ full-page, full-color cartoon illustrations are bright and feel larger than life. Preschoolers who have been asking their own parents for pets will giggle at the lengths to which the optimistic Piper will go, seemingly unaware of the mess she’s creating. Cino provides a picture book that’s simultaneously relatable and over the top.
A funny, creepy-crawly story about determination and inclusivity.Pub Date: Jan. 9, 2024
ISBN: 9798988925125
Page Count: 31
Publisher: Whimspire Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
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