Important life lessons, served with a heap of comedy.
In this companion to Something’s Wrong! (2021) and Nothing’s Wrong! (2023), two pals contend with a very bad day.
Jeff (a large brown bear wearing undies festooned with red hearts) and Anders (a fastidious green hare) each greet the morning cheerfully from their respective dwellings. But when the lights go out in both their houses, they find themselves prone, breakfast dripping from their fur. After they each step outside, their doors lock behind them, and they race toward each other’s homes—colliding on the path. What follows is a series of indignities involving bees, sap, dust, a skunk, pollen, and hail; it’s so preposterous that they can’t help but laugh. The text is full of alliteration and playful language. Anders thinks it’s going to be a “calm, cool, and collected type of day.” Jeff later wonders, “What are all these sticker-y, sticky, needle-y, poke-y, ouch-y, hurt-y thingies?” (Burrs.) Kraan’s mix of woodcut, colored pencil, and linocut artwork shows warm woodland and cozy domestic scenes full of pleasing textures and patterns. When the duo escape to the lake, they find friends—and Jeff’s grandma—all of whom had weird days of their own. They now float contentedly, munching sandwiches. As the pair join the fun, they conclude that pleasure is possible, even on bad days. Jeff muses, “All you can control are your actions and reactions to stuff.”
Important life lessons, served with a heap of comedy. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780374392147
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.
Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.
There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”
Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781400247417
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tommy Nelson
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
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