Don’t hold your breath waiting for HALF birthday invitations.
Dealey and Blanco give kids another day to celebrate each year.
Though the buildup and celebration start on the first page, it’s not until over halfway through the book that a HALF birthday is finally described: “add 6 months to your actual birthday!” Though Dealey’s HALF Birthday Buddies—a group of anthropomorphic stars—may not rival the Tooth Fairy in terms of popularity any time soon, their enthusiasm and sneakiness cannot be faulted, as they exuberantly leave decorations for sleeping children, bake a HALF cake, and leave HALF invitations. And though they will hide from view, you may hear them sing the HALF birthday song. The rhyming text describes further activities for a HALF birthday party with family and friends, though presents are not a part of this celebration, even HALF ones. There are a few spots for the owner to write in personal details, making this more of a gift book than one for library circulation. The digital illustrations are reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons, with bright colors and diverse, overly excited children. Backmatter offers kids the opportunity to go back and find several HALF objects as well as their other halves. But some aren’t to be found in the illustrations or don’t match the pics on this page. For example, half a lamp is never shown whole, and the HALF paint jar is pink, not green, plus there’s a gift despite what the text stated. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Don’t hold your breath waiting for HALF birthday invitations. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: April 25, 2023
ISBN: 9781938447556
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Genius Cat Books
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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