Perfect for lively read-alouds, especially during times of homebound play when children just need to shout!
Bold, brash, and bursting with personality—this book should be read with an outdoor voice!
Endpapers explode with colors and patterns, and the protagonist—a beige-skinned kid with straight, black hair—declares, “I don’t want to be quiet, I’d rather be LOUD!” Readers will know a boisterous adventure awaits them. Clad in a robot mask and carrying a broom turned into a rocket ship, the narrator is full of life and loves being loud, at the expense of baby brother’s nap and Mom’s patience. Lively rhyming text, set at times in big capital letters, conveys this kid’s enthusiasm, bouncing through life raucously, making noise on stairs and with spoons, humming, popping balloons, burping (“oops”), and more. But then, during a trip to the quiet library (“BORING”), when, following an outburst, other library users shush the noisemaker, the effusive protagonist opens a book. Within is a thrilling tale to keep that busy mind occupied while reading silently. Readers can see the adventures the narrator imagines, rendered with equal joy to the real-life escapades. Better still, it turns out that being quiet leads to the discovery of all sorts of new sounds all around. Fear not, this kid still has loud moments, but now they are balanced. Vivid, imaginative illustrations engage readers and viscerally convey the wide range of emotions felt by this audacious protagonist. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.8-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Perfect for lively read-alouds, especially during times of homebound play when children just need to shout! (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-11728-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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