It is Baby Bear’s birthday, and Mr. Wolf (Mr. Wolf and the Pancakes, 2000) and Grandma are preparing a fine birthday party. But they know that the Three Bears are proud eaters, so they have a lot of work to do. In this new spin on classic characters, the Wolves throw together Huff Puff Cakes and stacks of sandwiches and a great big birthday cake, and then toil like demons to spiff up the house. And then who should barge through the door along with the guests of honor, but Goldilocks, the most horrific creature the woods has to offer. “ ‘What have you brought her for?’ whispered Mr. Wolf.” “There was nothing we could do,” answers Daddy Bear, noting that Goldilocks said she was invited, the little fibber. She proceeds to ruin the party, incongruously and pleasingly caught in Fearnley’s delicate and oh-so-amusing watercolors: A bad girl making mischief, snatching at all the food, ruining the games. Then Grandma Wolf suggests a game of hide-and-seek, asking that nobody go into the kitchen, which is of course directly where Goldilocks heads—and disappears. Not long thereafter, Grandma emerges with a great-looking pie: “You never know what you’ll find in the kitchen,” she says. Predictable as it turns the old standard on its head, nonetheless Goldilocks is so loathsome, and likely so recognizable, that when she gets her just deserts—offstage left, out of reader’s sight—it feels like all is right in the world. Recipes include Baby Bear’s Birthday Cake, Mommy Bear’s Sandwiches, as well as Grandma’s Golden Pie (filling of choice). If Mr. Wolf isn’t careful, he’s going to run out of fairytale characters to eat. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-15-216423-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2002
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property.
Since a reformed Grinch is hardly any fun, this follow-up Grinches him up once more.
Those seeking more of the same, prepare to receive precisely that. Christmas is coming (again!), and the Grinch can hardly wait. He’s been patient all year, and now he can finally show the Whos down in Who-ville how much he’s changed. When the Grinch learns of a tree-decorating contest, he figures that if he wins, it’ll prove he truly has the Christmas spirit. He throws himself into the task, but when it comes time to judge the trees, the Grinch is horrified to discover that he’s received only the second-place trophy. Can Cindy-Lou Who find the words to save the day? Replicating many of the original beats and wordplay of the original, this tale feels like less a sequel and more like a vaguely rewritten variation. Meanwhile, Ruiz’s art seeks to bridge the gap between the animated Chuck Jones version of the Grinch and the one depicted in the original book. This thankless task results in a strange uncanny valley between Seuss and Jones but does allow the artist a chance to colorize everything and lend some racial diversity to the Who population (Cindy-Lou is light-skinned). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593563168
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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