A tender tale to help little ones master the days of the week—and find a way to savor each one.
Each day of the week means something different to this child.
The youngster is less than exuberant each Monday. With the weekend over, Mama goes to work and drops the protagonist off at day care. Fortunately, friends and fun brighten the little one’s spirits. Monday may be for moping, but “TUESDAY is for tiptoeing!” Dressed in a tutu and pink shoes, the child eagerly attends dance class after school. Each subsequent day highlights a different experience. “WEDNESDAY is for wiggling” (on Mama’s day off!), “THURSDAY is for thinking” (with a trip to the library), and “FRIDAY is for friends!” Saturday is spent with Gramma and Grandpa at the community garden, while the child rides scooters with Daddy by the canal on Sunday. The focus on what makes each day special might encourage families to look closely at their own routines and note favorite weekly traditions. Sterling’s pencil illustrations are smudgy and warm, imbuing the tale with a deep sense of affection, while Wong Nava’s energetic text is punctuated with exclamations. Every spread depicts characters laughing, playing, and relishing time spent together. Mama, Daddy, Gramma, and the child are brown-skinned, Grandpa is light-skinned, and their community is diverse. Context clues suggest that Mama and Daddy live in separate households, but this family’s love is what shines through most strongly.
A tender tale to help little ones master the days of the week—and find a way to savor each one. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781536242997
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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