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THE BIG BAD RUMOR

A dash of Chicken Little combined with a pinch of that classic childhood game Telephone is a recipe for success in this boisterous tale of miscommunication. When the goggle-eyed goose rushes to tell the barnyard animals that a wolf is coming, the story gets twisted, warped, and generally misconstrued until the panicked creatures are in a frenzy of confusion. Meres’s crafty wordplay is hilarious. “ ‘What’s that? There’s a whopping bad wolf and he’s wearing a wig?’ cried the jittery jay, tail flicking. ‘What’s that? He’s shopping mad and he’s scaring a pig?’ cried the harried hedgehog, prickles prickling.” Like the sly wolf in Jan Fearnley’s Mr. Wolf’s Pancakes (not reviewed), this villainous wolf has a trick up his sleeve. As the barnyard frenzy reaches a fevered pitch, a very young, innocuous-looking wolf appears at the door . . . with his big, bad dad. This surprise ending is good for a shriek and a laugh. Some of East’s illustrations, while very funny, definitely appeal more to an adult sense of humor. After all, not many three-year-olds can savor the irony of a leather-bedecked wolf atop a motorcycle or that same wolf in a poofy pink wig wielding a hair dryer in a beauty parlor. Despite the fact that the subtler humor may elude them, preschoolers will pick up on the inherent silliness of the comical pictures and enjoy the escalating outrageousness of the tale. An exuberant read-aloud that’s sure to generate gales of giggles. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2000

ISBN: 0-531-30292-X

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Orchard

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2000

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PEANUT BUTTER & CUPCAKE

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...

The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.

Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.

Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: July 29, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Philomel

Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

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

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