HELLO, MY NAME IS OCTICORN

Name: HELLO, MY NAME IS OCTICORN
Author: Kevin Diller
ISBN: 978-0-06-238793-6

by Kevin Diller ; illustrated by Justin Lowe with Binny Talib ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 24, 2016

There may be plenty more adventures for Octicorn; here’s hoping that they’ll be more amusing than awkward—unlike this...

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The offspring of an octopus mom and a unicorn dad, Octicorn really needs a friend.

With a grim expression, line-drawn body, and mismatched eyes, Octi is still a cute little critter with remarkable self-awareness. Octi is sad to be the only one without an invitation to a cupcake party—and grasps how unusual it is to be one-of-a-kind as a species. Octi speculates about how Mom and Dad may have met ("maybe a personal ad") and reveals the perils and bonuses of having four legs and a sharp protrusion from the head. The playground merry-go-round is a challenge, but juggling and roasting marshmallows are a snap. What Octi doesn't do, unfortunately, is narrate a story that goes beyond the novelty of a book-length character introduction. By the book's end, all readers know about Octi is that it's exceptionally lonely, and not in an endearing way that invites more interest. Rather, Octi seems desperate in a way that makes the concluding invitation for hugs and friendship a call for pity instead of excitement. The doodle-simple illustrations, which seem to have been enhanced with some splashes of color in the book’s transition from self-published Kickstarter project to major publisher release, only add to the feeling that this was a thin idea unable to transcend its one-joke premise.

There may be plenty more adventures for Octicorn; here’s hoping that they’ll be more amusing than awkward—unlike this introduction. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 24, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-238793-6

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S DRAGONS & MYTHICAL CREATURES | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
OCTICORN PARTY!
by Kevin Diller & Justin Lowe ; illustrated by Tian Mulholland

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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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)