A clever and attractive tale laced with a solid message on how to be a good friend.
Two busy friends eventually make time for each other.
Badger has so many berries to eat that there’s no time to play with friends. That’s convenient, since Badger’s friend Dog is too busy to play. But when Owl explains that Dog can’t play because he is searching for his lost ball, Badger has an existential crisis. Could Badger have seen the ball—and even eaten it by accident? (The ball was blue, like the berries.) What should Badger do? Owl answers with a string of unhelpful platitudes (“The storm will pass. The early bird catches the worm. We all make mistakes”) that could be the basis for follow-up storytime discussion. Badger is quick to accept possible responsibility for the lost ball, apologize to Dog, and offer an alternative plan. Friends don’t need a ball to play when they are together and there are plenty of berries to toss! And Dog is philosophical. Maybe his ball will turn up someday. Readers with a sharp eye will know where the lost ball is before the final reveal. This second installment in Lewis Jones and Sanders’ Blue Badger series features textured black-and-white depictions of animals set against colored backgrounds with minimal details. Blue highlights in the illustrations take over the pages as the narrative progresses. Brimming with visual humor, this simple story quietly models compassion and accountability for one’s actions. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A clever and attractive tale laced with a solid message on how to be a good friend. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7112-6757-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Happy Yak
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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
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
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