Gentle, reassuring, and persuasive.
Hedgehog Hector loves his home, but it shouldn’t prevent him from going out.
There’s so much to do—cooking, playing the piano, snuggling on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate, etc.—that Hector never feels like going outside. His squirrel friend Archie knocks on the door of Hector’s tree and invites him outside to make footprints in the snow. Excited, Hector runs to find his boots. But then he begins to worry: What if he catches a cold outside? He decides to stay home. The next day, Max the mouse calls with the news that the lake has frozen; it’s perfect for ice skating! Hector gets excited again, but then he starts to worry. What if he falls and hurts himself? Hector stays home. The next day, Hector receives a party invitation, with “Music, Dancing, and Hot Chocolate for everyone!” Once again, nerves supersede excitement, and he decides to stay home. But after a fitful night’s sleep, in the morning he swallows his fear, puts on his best bow tie, and goes to the party. Archie and Max greet Hector warmly, and enjoyment finally takes over. A three-page afterword offers advice to caregivers on dealing with children who worry. Rooks treats her subject with a light touch and age-appropriate language, and her anthropomorphized animals, created with what appear to be watercolors, are delightful.
Gentle, reassuring, and persuasive. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4338-2868-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
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
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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