Heroism, humor, and penguin facts mix nicely in this pleasing Antarctic-to-Brooklyn tale.
A penguin and a fish hitch a ride with Antarctic researchers and travel north for Coney Island’s famous opening day parade in this picture book.
Noodles, a penguin, and his friend Albie, an orange fish, have enjoyed two previous adventures. As this story begins, they overhear two Antarctic penguin scientists, Jon and Ken, looking forward to their journey home to Brooklyn, where they’ll be back in time for Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade and aquatic costume contest. It sounds like so much fun that Albie and Noodles ask to come along, and because Capt. Sonja and their parents agree, off they go—the fish in his own tank. They learn about other kinds of penguins and, in the Falklands, they’re joined by two of them: Henry, a king penguin, and feisty Rocko, a rockhopper. During a storm, the penguins don headlamps to help guide an oil tanker away from rocks, preventing an environmental disaster. On Coney Island, everyone enjoys the parade, especially when the two animals win Best Costume. Bennett (Noodles’ and Albie’s Birthday Surprise, 2016, etc.) delights and instructs with this third amusing escapade. The penguin species’ personalities come through; the oil tanker rescue is satisfying; and a final Q&A page provides more background. (A quibble: Experts don’t recommend sweaters for penguins harmed in oil spills.) Debut illustrator Monte provides appealing, softly shaded images that depict expressive animals and a diverse human crew.
Heroism, humor, and penguin facts mix nicely in this pleasing Antarctic-to-Brooklyn tale.Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2018
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Penguin Place Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
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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