A charming, interactive tale that can help young readers engage with reading—probably one that will earn that simple...
Florence the firefly is lost. Can “you” help her find her way home?
Young readers help guide Florence across the water and into the city, hopping from light source to light source. The text and the art work together to give clues as to what creates each one. Readers can guess along with Florence, then turn the page to find the answer in the sweeping full-page spreads. Is that distant flashing light the other fireflies? No, it’s a lighthouse. What about that line of lights that seems to be moving? No, it’s a train. The interactive components beg to be read aloud—“Say ‘Fly faster, Florence!’ and flap your hands to show her how to fly really fast”—making it a good choice for group storytimes. Clarke identifies “home” as a “special place,” recognizable in Teckentrup’s digital illustrations by way of the unique, geometric plant life they flit among. Some resemble grass, some ferns, and others wildflowers that double as little bursts of pale light. The artist’s style is collagelike, with textures à la Eric Carle and spots of gradient lights. The solid yellow lights pop dramatically against the predominantly dark blue backgrounds. Earth tones and bright shades for the city round out the color scheme, which, along with the ever present star-speckled sky, makes this story equally apt for bedtime reading.
A charming, interactive tale that can help young readers engage with reading—probably one that will earn that simple command, “Again!” (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 11, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0587-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
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
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
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