Sweet but standard fare akin to daytime cartoons.
An ambitious lion cub perseveres in disappointment’s wake.
As Leo and Mama stroll the savanna in animation mastermind Esnaashari’s authorial debut, they notice some antelope springing about the riverbanks. Emboldened, Leo declares his intention to scale a nearby rock in a single bound. He squares up, counts down, takes off, and…gets tangled in a shrub. The braggadocious cub blames his bumble on a baleful breeze. His beaming mother notes there wasn’t any wind and suggests he try again. Leo backs up, takes a running start, pushes hard, and…flops face-first in the dirt. Wounded in pride if not body, he attributes this mishap to his considerate nature: Apparently, he stumbled in order to spare a bug underfoot. Doubtful, Mama offers a sympathetic smile. Leo again sets his feet, bounds for glory, grasps the peak, and…slips straight into the mud. Poor Leo! While the lioness tidies her crestfallen cub, they observe a lush ecosystem full of animals jumping and soaring with the greatest of ease. Mama urges Leo to try one last time, and initial reluctance turns to newfound resolve. He runs, jumps, and…summits the stone at last. Mother and son close the book making magnificent tandem leaps. With expressive faces embellished with tattoolike patterns, this lionhearted duo exercise resilience in the face of personal shortcomings and strict realism—but fall squarely into the Disneyfication trap. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 57% of actual size.)
Sweet but standard fare akin to daytime cartoons. (author's note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5344-4610-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2020
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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