A warm and—in more ways than one—very cool story about discovering one’s own identity.
Deciding that penguin life isn’t cool, Clive takes steps to change things.
Clive Penguin is suffering an identity crisis. Being a penguin isn’t so hot. Clive’s sick of the “same old snow” and the “same old penguins.” Clive wants out of the frigid environment, longing to be somewhere else or even “someone else.” The fed-up penguin decides to skip town, believing that something wonderful must be right around the corner. Then Clive makes an epic discovery. Readers will giggle that Clive ignores a colossal whale in favor of something orange floating in the sea—a “unique, fashionable, versatile” tea cozy covering a teapot. Clive models the object in various ways, then returns to huddle among the penguins, sporting the cozy as a hat. However, lest readers think Clive has found a happily-ever-after ending, by the book’s conclusion, our hero is “boiling.” This drily witty story will have young readers chuckling, but it’ll make them think, too, for it’s about being unsure of yourself and where you belong and taking steps toward finding your place in the world. Clive’s return to the colony proves that while familiarity can breed discontent, it may also bring warmth and safety. The lively, uncluttered illustrations feature blues, whites, oranges, and yellows.
A warm and—in more ways than one—very cool story about discovering one’s own identity. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781454955214
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
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
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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