Jaunty out of the gate—such fun.
The Bear is only the first one over this mountain.
As in the rhyme of old, on a bright, sunny day, a little brown “Bear [goes] over the mountain,” where all he sees is the other side of the landmass…but he then gets stuck up a tree. “The Hare hop[s] over the mountain” next, “to see where Bear could be.” And on the other side of the mountain, Hare helps Bear out of the tree. The Fox follows, “danc[ing] over the mountain” in search of Hare. When he gets to the other side, he prepares a tea party for three. “The Wolf [runs] over the mountain” looking for Fox, and they all have a swim together. “The Owl swoop[s] over the mountain” hoping to find Wolf, and when Owl gets there, “they ha[ve] a Jamboree” under the now-starry sky. The illustrations shift from the scenes of outdoor play to the interior of a pine-tree–wallpapered home, where a curly-headed White child “cre[eps] over the mountain” (up the stairs) “to see where they could be.” Upon the page turn, the child finds all five animals (stuffies all) ready for a snuggle in bed. With this outing, Cabrera has once again made a traditional kid’s song into a storytime pleaser. It won’t take even one full read-through for kids to be singing along, and when they see themselves in the sweet twist at the close, they’ll likely giggle with glee. Her acrylic paintings are, as usual, lush and lovely.
Jaunty out of the gate—such fun. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4653-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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