Another just-right adventure with this appealing duo, sure to reassure and embolden the very young.
Billie experiences a moment of magic in the snow.
Billie, Mom, and Bean, their round gray dog, ride the bus to the ski slopes. Last year, Mom pulled Billie in a sled, but this year, Billie’s enrolled in ski school. Mom, ensconced in a chair on the ski lodge’s porch with a warm mug and a blanket over her knees, “has been busy at work” and “needs to rest.” Joined by Bean, she watches Billie but soon falls asleep. A cautious skier, Billie slowly snowplows all the way on her first run down. Back at the bottom of the slope, Billie doesn’t want to ride the ski lift again. A poster about dog sledding gives Bean a clever idea, and she hitches Bean to a small toboggan. At first the ride is lovely, but Bean shakes free, and Billie finds herself in a snowdrift under the dark, snow-laden branches of the trees. The way out isn’t apparent until a white-coated ermine leads the way. “How did you find your way back to the slope?” Billie’s friend asks her on the bus home. “It’s a secret,” replies Billie. The simple story, translated from Swedish, captures the uncertainties and triumphs of childhood, all of which may seem small to adults but are larger-than-life to youngsters. The crisp yet gentle illustrations make terrific use of color and perspective. Billie and Mom are brown-skinned; theirs is a diverse community.
Another just-right adventure with this appealing duo, sure to reassure and embolden the very young. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2024
ISBN: 9781459841147
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2024
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
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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