Swashbuckling abounds, but even lively antics can’t quite keep this ship afloat.
The world’s most frightening pirate meets his match…rubber ducky–style.
“Grislygrin was the scariest pirate of the Seven Seas of all time,” begins this import translated from the Spanish. How scary is he? So scary that every time he walks the deck, his crew (depicted as kids with a variety of skin tones; Grislygrin is tan-skinned) run in fear. Fear, that is, until the day one of his crew sneaks into his room at night and exchanges his wooden leg for a rubber duck. On subsequent nights, the leg is swapped for a spring and then a rambunctious dog. It’s only when his leg is exchanged for a pencil that Grislygrin starts writing stories with every step, and everyone is happier for it. Much of the repetition in the text (“The whole crew was afraid…very veeery afraid!”) makes it clear that this is a book earmarked for read-alouds. The vibrant, exuberant art appears to always be in motion and can easily be seen across the room. The child crew itself straddles the line between terrified and delighted as they run from their leader. However, some readers may be put off by the notion of changing out the limbs of people with disabilities for gags. The energy is high, but the book cannot avoid its central premise. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Swashbuckling abounds, but even lively antics can’t quite keep this ship afloat. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-84-17673-65-9
Page Count: 44
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
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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