Readers of the first book will be pleased with the continuing adventures of Abigail and Reginald, but others may want to...
The follow-up to Peanut Butter & Brains (2015) adds an interstellar element but shows that sandwich snacks can be universal.
In the town of Quirkville, living people and the undead enjoy a peaceful cohabitation. But when one-eyed green aliens demanding, “SPLOINK!?” arrive and begin shooting up the town with “cosmic grape jelly,” heroes Abigail Zink and zombie Reginald save the day with the only complementary sandwich spread (hint: it’s in the title) that will please them. As with the first book, Abigail and Reginald make a winning team, and the zombies are illustrated as cute, if a little stitched-up and gray-blue in skin tone. (Abigail is white, but the other living inhabitants of Quirkville show pleasing diversity.) But what was fizzy and fun in the first book may seem like a loose mishmash (zombies and aliens and food culture) to readers new to the concept. And the aliens themselves lack the charm of the zombies; they’re tentacled and Popsicle-shaped with sprouting antennae and potato-shaped blasters, a not-particularly-original imagining. If the aliens seem gimmicky, especially for a story set in Quirkville, the story at least has a feel-good ending free of peanut allergies, which apparently aren’t a thing in outer space.
Readers of the first book will be pleased with the continuing adventures of Abigail and Reginald, but others may want to pick that volume first or bypass this alien sighting entirely. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2530-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: June 26, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
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
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