Lots of relatable fun for youngsters coming into their own.
A teddy goes bare.
Most teddy bears are “happy to dress how you want them to dress.” Not Albie. And teddies generally let their owners choose their gender, but Albie refuses (the text uses he/him pronouns for the protagonist). Each day, Albie dons a different ensemble, depending on how he feels. On Monday, Albie wears an infant’s bonnet and onesie and reclines in a stroller; he quickly doffs those duds (“Wrong outfit! Wrong age!”) and decides he’s a prince, complete with a gold crown. On Tuesday, a bored Albie opts for a glittery-winged Butterfly Bear getup. Albie then tries out cowboy and pirate outfits as well as “city” and “country” togs. Finally, on Sunday, donating everything previously worn “to poor teddies in rags,” Albie decides to wear only “a beautiful smile.” Expressed in jaunty rhymes, this bouncy U.K. import lets kids practice naming the days of the week; it will be readily embraced by children trying to figure out who they are, those who balk when it comes time to getting dressed for the day, and youngsters who enjoy experimenting with different clothing choices. Frustrated parents who struggle with getting kids to pick out an outfit—or even keep it on altogether—will chuckle knowingly at Albie’s antics. The comical, energetic color illustrations get at the heart of the protagonist’s lively, expressive personality as he figures out who he wants to be.
Lots of relatable fun for youngsters coming into their own. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781915252951
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scallywag Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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
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BOOK REVIEW
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