A fresh and funny friendship tale.
When the sun goes down on the savanna, the lion cub wants to play. Why doesn't anybody else?
Mama lion is stretched out on a tree branch, as lifeless as a rug. Her cub’s scratches and roars can't wake her. A couple of male lions stay stubbornly asleep as well. Time to roam. When the cub roars at the hippo, it burps in response. But a second, bigger roar sends the hippo and its whole family fleeing. The cub next tries a herd of giraffes, all erect but sleeping, their necks poking up through the leaves of a broad tree. When the cub roars, they also flee, in a flurry of "Eeek!"s (in myriad typefaces). The disappointed cub lies down on the ground, tail unthinkingly drooped down a hole that happens to be home to a family of rabbits. To one restless gray rabbit, the tail looks just like a carrot: “CHOMP!” Understandably, the cub lets out an enormous "ROAR!" followed by an even bigger "MORE!!" from the delighted rabbit. And the two new friends romp for hours...and pages. Bayless tells her story in the pictures, mostly double-page spreads with a few graphic-style panels; the only text—mostly “roar”s and “more”s—appears in sound bubbles. Her digitally colored pencil illustrations have an appealing crispness; the slightly stylized figures stand out evocatively against their deep blue, nocturnal backgrounds.
A fresh and funny friendship tale. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-7624-5750-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
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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