OK, you’ve read the SparkNotes, now it is time to see the movie.
A picture-book adaptation of the iconic E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. Simplified. Very.
For readers who fell through the time-space fabric of earthly life after 1982, this near goo-goo rendering for the young will provide the basics, if not the poignancy and power of “alien” affection, of the famous movie. The narrative adaptation is pared down to the bone but operates fairly smoothly, while the artwork offers some fine comic scenes, such as E.T. hiding among a pile of stuffed animals and E.T.’s various disguises. All the child characters have E.T.–size eyes, and although their heads are round, they are also as exaggeratedly large in proportion to their bodies as their alien friend’s. The basic plot is here, but the emphasis is on getting E.T. away from the bad guys, who don’t look nearly bad enough—though when they finally catch E.T. and put him in the coffinlike box, it’s pretty creepy. The flat, affect-free narration underplays the movie’s take on the magic of friendship, no matter how peculiar the “other,” and Elliott’s gesture of love in helping his friend return home is reduced to plot points. As in the film, principal characters are white, though Smith places some people of color in background roles.
OK, you’ve read the SparkNotes, now it is time to see the movie. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68369-010-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2017
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move.
An interactive board book promises a variety of experiences.
A book that gets kids up and moving sounds like a great idea. The half-circle cutout of the spine and large handle formed by another die cut on the right side are intriguing. Unfortunately, the rhyming instructions for using the book as an exercise prop are confusing. Even adults will find themselves puzzled when told to “paddle the floor,” or to “hang on the handles. Step over the book. / You're a turtle in its shell! Go peek out and look.” The busy pictures shift perspective according to each scenario presented but give few visual clues. For example, the only hint of a dinosaur on the page where readers are told to “put this book to your mouth and let out a roar” like a dinosaur are the teeth that line the edges of what is meant to be a gaping maw. It’s not always obvious whether the book is meant to be facing readers or turned away from them, adding another layer of confusion. Furthermore, many of the instructions run counter to how young children are typically taught to treat books, as when they are told to step on it and then waddle or to lift it with their feet. The relatively thin board pages and weak handles will soon be torn by normal handling; following the directions in the text will only hasten the destruction.
Leave this on the shelf and take the kids outside to really move. (Board book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8733-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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