by Kirsten Hall ; illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 27, 2014
The idea’s originality and the child-friendly instructions at the end of Book’s tale make this a novel gift pick for the...
When a dog named Egg Cream muddies the cover of his young mistress’s favorite book, the girl figures out how to make everyone feel better.
The text is in the third person, but the story is told from a book’s point of view—a whimsical rarity. The book—aptly named Book—has been waiting, Corduroy-like, for a child to appreciate his fine qualities. (“He was solid and strong. His words were smart and playful.”) After the girl—known simply as “the girl”—has acquired Book, he and the girl are ecstatic companions until the girl’s other love—whom Book refuses to call anything but Dog—manages to muddy Book. The mixed-media illustrations do a beautiful job of capturing such things as the interior of a bookstore, the girl’s love for both her companions and the tragic moment of mud. Fortunately, if unrealistically, the mud has not damaged Book’s pages; Book bravely refuses to cry, as “Tears would ruin his ink and paper.” After a dark night for Book and the girl, the girl wakes up refreshed and ready to solve the problem of Book’s muddy cover. Book’s understanding of the girl’s love for her dog is a particularly poignant inclusion, both textually and visually.
The idea’s originality and the child-friendly instructions at the end of Book’s tale make this a novel gift pick for the juvenile bibliophile. (book-jacket instructions) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-59270-168-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2014
Share your opinion of this book
More by Kirsten Hall
BOOK REVIEW
by Kirsten Hall ; illustrated by Evan Turk
BOOK REVIEW
by Kirsten Hall ; illustrated by Aki
BOOK REVIEW
by Kirsten Hall ; illustrated by Jenni Desmond
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Alice Schertle
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph
BOOK REVIEW
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph
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...
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
Share your opinion of this book
More by Tish Rabe
BOOK REVIEW
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings
BOOK REVIEW
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.