Though love and snails rarely go together, it’s easy to be won over by this mighty mollusk.
Alors! Beaucoup de français abounds in this third outing starring everyone’s favorite francophone gastropod.
It’s Snailentine’s Day, and Escargot is dressing up to the nines. Why? Because Escargot has received an invitation to a party and is determined to arrive with the perfect outfit. Breaking right through the fourth wall, the stylish snail encourages readers to embrace their snail selves. After Escargot shows readers how to wave their tentacles, practice “shy-hiding,” and dance, it’s time to attend the party. However, Escargot experiences a bit of shell shock when it becomes clear that there are no other snails here—instead, it’s Volerie’s Volentine’s Day party. (“Do voles like snails? Do voles eat snails?”) Will Escargot embrace the unknown and dance with Volerie? But of course! Like a mini Maurice Chevalier, this sweet snail must come out of their shell after having waxed eloquent about what to do at a party. Truthfully, there’s not as much to this tale beyond the usual declaration not to judge a book by its cover. Be wary, though. Sweet art means that when Escargot winsomely tells readers, “You can kiss me if you like,” it’ll be hard for them to pass up the chance. Be prepared for a moist Valentine’s Day storytime. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Though love and snails rarely go together, it’s easy to be won over by this mighty mollusk. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-374-31426-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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