A placid story with a welcome message, even if it lacks subtlety.
Vincent the mouse’s extraordinary house expands to make room for all in need of shelter.
In this generosity-themed fable, Vincent carries his invisible house, stopping where “he knew…he needed to be” to teach a forest of animals that “in my house, all animals are welcome.” His first guest is a weary bullfrog who doubts he can fit inside the tiny animal’s home. But the interior, shown in warm, cozy shades of cream, grows to fit the frog, a hungry cat, a family of damp hedgehogs, and, eventually, a whole group of forest critters gathering together to feast in the magical house. An enormous bear’s arrival tests the group’s tolerance, as they fear he might “eat us!” or “squish us,” but Vincent’s brave insistence that all join in saves the day. Smooth, often repetitive language that’s deliberately formal creates an atmosphere as snug as a cat consuming “fresh honeycomb and warm milk,” though the overt messaging about inclusiveness feels a tad heavy-handed. Delicate gouache, ink, and cut-paper illustrations in a subdued palette mirror the quietness of the text, and seeing the home's interior colors brighten in contrast with the dull drizzle outside is especially satisfying. Bear’s teddy bear–like dimensions are somewhat unfortunate, as they are so benign that they remove any possibility of tension from the story. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A placid story with a welcome message, even if it lacks subtlety. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1679-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: April 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Only for dedicated fans of the series.
When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster.
“I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail. The kid employs a “bag of tricks” to try to catch the monster: in it are a giant wind-up shark, two cans of silly string, and an elaborate cage-and-robot trap. This last works, but with an unexpected result: the monster looks sad. Turns out he was only scaring the boy to wake him up so they could be friends. The monster greets the boy in the usual monster way: he “rips a massive FART!!” that smells like strawberries and lime, and then they go to the monster’s house to meet his parents and play. The final two spreads show the duo getting ready for bed, which is a rather anticlimactic end to what has otherwise been a rambunctious tale. Elkerton’s bright illustrations have a TV-cartoon aesthetic, and his playful beast is never scary. The narrator is depicted with black eyes and hair and pale skin. Wallace’s limping verses are uninspired at best, and the scansion and meter are frequently off.
Only for dedicated fans of the series. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4894-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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