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THE SNOWMAN AND THE SNOWDOG

Name: THE SNOWMAN AND THE SNOWDOG
Author: Hilary Audus
ISBN: 978-0-385-38714-9

by Hilary Audus & Joanna Harrison ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 23, 2014

A travesty.

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A sequel of sorts—and a wordy one at that—to the lovely, wordless and beloved The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs (1978).

Billy has moved to a new home, and his old dog dies soon after. But he finds in the house a box with a scarf, hat and other items—and a picture of a boy standing next to a snowman wearing them. He is inspired to build his own snowman, along with a snowdog because he misses his own. Snowman and Snowdog come alive at midnight and with Billy go off on flying adventures and win a downhill race. A gift of a collar from Santa himself turns the snowdog into a real one, and Billy is delighted, although boy and dog discover the snowman has melted away in the morning sun. The abrupt loss of the dog, the discovery of the box (under a floorboard), and the awakening of snowdog and snowman—not just to life but to flying and then racing—make for a confusing and unsatisfying tale. One wonders, too, what Billy’s mom makes of the sudden appearance of an actual dog on what may or may not be Christmas morning. The uncredited illustrations are not a patch on Briggs’ original, atmospheric images.

A travesty. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-385-38714-9

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S HOLIDAYS & CELEBRATIONS

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THE COOL BEAN MAKES A SPLASH

From the I Can Read! series

by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2024

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.

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The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.

Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.

Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)

Pub Date: March 26, 2024

ISBN: 9780063329560

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS BOOK!
by Jory John ; illustrated by Olivier Tallec

- BOOK REVIEW
THE BIG CHEESE
by Jory John ; illustrated by Pete Oswald

- BOOK REVIEW
NOTHING’S WRONG!
by Jory John ; illustrated by Erin Kraan

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TINY T. REX AND THE IMPOSSIBLE HUG

by Jonathan Stutzman ; illustrated by Jay Fleck ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2019

Wins for compassion and for the refusal to let physical limitations hold one back.

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With such short arms, how can Tiny T. Rex give a sad friend a hug?

Fleck goes for cute in the simple, minimally detailed illustrations, drawing the diminutive theropod with a chubby turquoise body and little nubs for limbs under a massive, squared-off head. Impelled by the sight of stegosaurian buddy Pointy looking glum, little Tiny sets out to attempt the seemingly impossible, a comforting hug. Having made the rounds seeking advice—the dino’s pea-green dad recommends math; purple, New Age aunt offers cucumber juice (“That is disgusting”); red mom tells him that it’s OK not to be able to hug (“You are tiny, but your heart is big!”), and blue and yellow older sibs suggest practice—Tiny takes up the last as the most immediately useful notion. Unfortunately, the “tree” the little reptile tries to hug turns out to be a pterodactyl’s leg. “Now I am falling,” Tiny notes in the consistently self-referential narrative. “I should not have let go.” Fortunately, Tiny lands on Pointy’s head, and the proclamation that though Rexes’ hugs may be tiny, “I will do my very best because you are my very best friend” proves just the mood-lightening ticket. “Thank you, Tiny. That was the biggest hug ever.” Young audiences always find the “clueless grown-ups” trope a knee-slapper, the overall tone never turns preachy, and Tiny’s instinctive kindness definitely puts him at (gentle) odds with the dinky dino star of Bob Shea’s Dinosaur Vs. series.

Wins for compassion and for the refusal to let physical limitations hold one back. (Picture book. 5-7)