Competent coverage of a sadly underrepresented holiday.
On the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, Peg + Cat practice math and kindness.
Peg, a white girl with strawberry-blonde hair, and Cat, a purple feline, visit their friends Yasmina, a beige-skinned girl wearing a hijab, and Amir, a light-brown–skinned boy wearing a suit and tie with sandals. Eid al-Adha is a “very special holiday” that Peg and Cat “had never even heard of.” Following the signature Peg + Cat formula, they first “rock out” in song. Since Eid al-Adha is about “giving to those with less,” the less than/more than mathematical symbols are introduced. The four characters play musical instruments, and Yasmina piles a silver tray with foods. Following Islamic tradition, they separate the meat into thirds: one-third for the family, one-third for neighbors and friends, and one-third for charity. Amir places two meatballs on each plate, but Peg notices that the meatballs are different sizes. This is a “Big Problem,” which they solve with a pan balance. Finally, they head out to the party. When they stop at the soup kitchen to donate some meatballs, they use math again to help out there, and when Cat shares his coveted honey cakes, he discovers how good it feels to give. The illustrations (assembled from the TV episode the book is based on) are cartoony and colorful, with graphing paper and mathematical equations in the background. Fans of Peg + Cat will enjoy learning about the Islamic holiday, but readers unfamiliar with the show may not appreciate the book’s formulaic structure.
Competent coverage of a sadly underrepresented holiday. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: June 26, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7636-9932-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick Entertainment
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018
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
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
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