A childhood essential transformed into poetic beauty.
An ode to forts of all kinds, from those found in nature to those we make ourselves.
A sweeping fall landscape greets readers who open this book. “The world is full of forts,” Venit declares, inviting youngsters to follow along as a brown-skinned child explores the outdoors. The hollowed-out root tangle of a fallen tree and the cave behind a waterfall both make welcome hideouts. Closer to home, a backyard treehouse and a tent are inviting getaways. And as the protagonist moves indoors, Venit introduces us to less obvious forts: the peaceful space behind the curtains, “the kingdom under the kitchen table,” a pile of boxes, and stacks of cushions. For all the shelter they provide, forts are also much-needed sources of solitude, respites from a loud, people-filled world. Venit’s lyrical text reads aloud well and includes beautiful turns of phrase and rich vocabulary that conjure up feelings of tranquility, while Pak’s delicately luminous illustrations convey a powerful sense of place, using light and shadow to carve out cozy spots both indoors and out. One especially stunning image shows the child in a tent made of a thin blanket decorated with hanging origami cranes; the silhouette of an adult on the other side casts a pale shadow against the sheet. The young protagonist looks entirely at home, tucked up snug in the various forts; readers will readily relate.
A childhood essential transformed into poetic beauty. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2025
ISBN: 9780593466155
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
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
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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