A fun—and kinder—reinvention of an old tale.
A badger eager to brighten her winter learns the value of preparation (and good friends) in Doherty’s picture book.
In this spin on the fable of the grasshopper and the ants, Badger is getting ready for the snowy season; she “didn’t want to suffer through another dull, dark winter.” She travels to town in search of something bright. There, she discovers a kaleidoscope—a Twist-a-Roo—that captivates her imagination. Eager to share it, she visits Porcupine and Beaver, both of whom are too busy with their winter preparations. Badger is so distracted by her desire to share the Twist-a-Roo’s beauty that she makes gifts instead of preparing for the coming chill. As she works, winter arrives, and she’s cold and hungry—until her friends show up with supplies, eager for some beauty to chase away the winter blues. Doherty balances Badger’s foolishness with her kindheartedness. She isn’t just avoiding work; she wants to share something wonderful with her friends. The community’s acknowledgment of beauty’s value is a wonderful counterpoint to the traditional fable, and their willingness to help their friend in order to share that beauty gives it a much happier ending. Litten’s illustrations blend cartoons and painted images to depict a delightful host of woodland creatures; the word-to-text ratio makes each page approachable for independent readers.
A fun—and kinder—reinvention of an old tale.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781682634974
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 9, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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BOOK REVIEW
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