A gentle counter to traditional notions of masculinity and grit that breaks little new ground.
The author-illustrator team behind Giraffes Can’t Dance (2001) returns with a rhyming ode to bravery starring a pair of anthropomorphic bears.
Strong, handsome, courageous Clarence catches fish and finds honey with ease; in short, he’s “everything grizzly bears ought to be.” A loving big sibling, he gently encourages younger, smaller brother Dave to follow his example, but sensitive Dave presents a different image of masculinity. Wearing a flower garland, he cries: “I’ll never be Clarence, not EVER!” But Dave is struck by inspiration when he finds a brightly patterned piece of fabric on a walk and embarks on a secret project. Eventually, he invites all the animals to his den and presents his brother with a fabulous cloak, explaining that creating it “makes me feel…TRUE.” The transformation is tied up with an emotional bow as Clarence sheds tears of joy and tells Dave that accepting who he is makes him brave. The immediate and unanimous acceptance of Dave’s affinity for fashion is sweet if perhaps a bit idealistic; human children may not be as accepting as the gaggle of woodland critters, though the trepidation Dave feels in breaking from the norm rings true. Given how reassuring Clarence is from the get-go, there isn’t much dramatic tension, and it’s a story we’ve seen countless times before. The illustration style is love it or leave it, with campy, bright colors and a nostalgic, retro feeling in the shading and slight shadows. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A gentle counter to traditional notions of masculinity and grit that breaks little new ground. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-85010-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors.
A confused squirrel overreacts to the falling autumn leaves.
Relaxing on a tree branch, Squirrel admires the red, gold, and orange leaves. Suddenly Squirrel screams, “One of my leaves is…MISSING!” Searching for the leaf, Squirrel tells Bird, “Someone stole my leaf!” Spying Mouse sailing in a leaf boat, Squirrel asks if Mouse stole the leaf. Mouse calmly replies in the negative. Bird reminds Squirrel it’s “perfectly normal to lose a leaf or two at this time of year.” Next morning Squirrel panics again, shrieking, “MORE LEAVES HAVE BEEN STOLEN!” Noticing Woodpecker arranging colorful leaves, Squirrel queries, “Are those my leaves?” Woodpecker tells Squirrel, “No.” Again, Bird assures Squirrel that no one’s taking the leaves and that the same thing happened last year, then encourages Squirrel to relax. Too wired to relax despite some yoga and a bath, the next day Squirrel cries “DISASTER” at the sight of bare branches. Frantic now, Squirrel becomes suspicious upon discovering Bird decorating with multicolored leaves. Is Bird the culprit? In response, Bird shows Squirrel the real Leaf Thief: the wind. Squirrel’s wildly dramatic, misguided, and hyperpossessive reaction to a routine seasonal event becomes a rib-tickling farce through clever use of varying type sizes and weights emphasizing his absurd verbal pronouncements as well as exaggerated, comic facial expressions and body language. Bold colors, arresting perspectives, and intense close-ups enhance Squirrel’s histrionics. Endnotes explain the science behind the phenomenon.
A hilarious autumnal comedy of errors. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-3520-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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