A big treat.
Tragedy. Badger has lost his teddy in this Spanish import.
Bear comes along and offers to help. Through the meadow, under bushes (“since things get lost easily in low and dark places”), over the lake, under the water, and up in the trees our two—make that three (Ladybug is also helping)—intrepid explorers leave no stone unturned. Bear asks the same question of everyone they meet: “Have you seen Badger’s teddy?” Alas, the answer is always a disheartening “No.” Bear is more distraught than Badger, who has clearly been having a great time. Apologizing for his apparent failure to help, Bear is totally befuddled when Badger asks, “Help me with what?” The happy Badger then promptly drags his “teddy” off for some more adventures. Swiss-German author Fehr writes in English, his simple, wryly funny, patterned text lending itself to group participation. The real winners here, however, are Leroy’s bold-outlined watercolor illustrations. From concerned, ever present Ladybug, never mentioned in the text, to the chuckle-inducing visual denouement, the Belgian artist’s humor carries the tale in grand style. Badger’s expression of joyful wonder as the world unfolds around him is a delight. Adding to readers’ enjoyment, characters from previous encounters wander obliviously into new scenes, creating an engaging sense of continuity. The simultaneous release of both the Spanish (via Luis Amavisca’s translation) and English editions is sure to be welcomed by classrooms and bilingual households alike.
A big treat. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2018
ISBN: 978-84-17123-21-5
Page Count: 36
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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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