A fair if somewhat ephemeral story. Readers looking for humorous antics may find more shenanigans in No, David! or Officer...
What happens when over 25 stuffed animals go wild? Officer Hardy and her partner will be glad to show you!
Dunn and Nash introduce readers to a very naughty teddy bear whose antics would put most fraternity-house parties to shame. While Teddy’s owner is away from home, Teddy invites all his stuffed and plush friends over for a day of over-the-top fun. A bed is destroyed, underwear is worn atop heads, and chocolate sauce is used to make one of the messiest (and most delicious) baths/pool parties ever. It’s the kind of mischievous fun that would make most preschoolers squeal with joy and most parents moan as they consider the cleanup costs. Dunn’s story, related in the second person to the owner of the delinquent toy, is farcical, but readers may wish for more interaction than they get. The sequence about the broken bed is most successful; the police officers are depicted amid the party’s aftermath on the recto, allowing readers to guess what happened before the page turn. Nash’s digital illustrations capture the zany day in an engaging color palette, but the use of white space on many of the pages creates an austere contrast to the full-color tomfoolery of the party. Although there are only six humans in the story, Nash uses them to highlight the diversity of Teddy’s neighborhood; investigating officer Hardy is a black woman and her subordinate a white man, in an especially nice touch.
A fair if somewhat ephemeral story. Readers looking for humorous antics may find more shenanigans in No, David! or Officer Buckle and Gloria. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7537-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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