Ideal for those learning that efforts matter more than outcomes.
A petite porker strives for perfection.
It is Madame Paradee’s birthday, and Piglette must find a present. She wanders around Paris, peering into shop windows, but nothing seems right. Then a delicious smell catches her snout. There, in the window of Chef Pistache’s patisserie, are the most delectable confections! Piglette will learn how to bake and create a masterpiece cake for Madame Paradee. The idea is…perfect. However, baking is very precise, and Piglette produces more flops than flawless pastries. “Oh, piddle! I can’t disappoint Madame Paradee on her special day.” Piglette rolls up her sleeves and practices. On the day of the party, it is impossible to choose just one dessert to prepare, so she makes an Eiffel Tower of piled-high treats (depicted on a gatefold that requires a 90-degree turn to view). But: “Plip!…Plop!…PLOOP!”—suddenly the pastries start to fall! Piglette learns that perfectionism can be pretty painful. Brimming with alliteration, this tale of a sophisticated swine caters to Fancy Nancy fans, but Piglette also holds her own with those not so easily impressed with pink ruffles. Piglette’s determination and pluck shine. Byrne’s pictures are flooded with swirls, sugar, and sparkles, adding mouthwatering flair. Chef Pistache’s habit of speaking in rhyme when the narration and none of the other characters employ it is a bit baffling, however. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.5-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 20% of actual size.)
Ideal for those learning that efforts matter more than outcomes. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 25, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-20453-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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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