A foe is tricked into friendship and everyone’s a winner in this fresh and funny tale.
A luncheon morsel talks his way out of a hungry bear’s stomach—and into the animal’s heart.
A lighthouse keeper named Bear (who uses they/them pronouns) adheres to a strict daily routine, which includes fishing for lunch. Today, they catch two things: a multicolored patchwork sail and a fish by the name of Eustace. Eustace repeatedly pleads not to be eaten (“I have a girlfriend waiting for me at home”), but every time he does, Bear offers empty reassurances (“I would never”) while popping Eustace into a cooking pot or adding delicious-looking vegetables. The two are interrupted by a heron and a shark, both of whom need help that only the sail (and Bear’s sewing skills) can provide. When the sail is almost entirely used up, Eustace accepts his fate, but helping others has given Bear a sense of empathy that was previously lacking. Bear declares that dinner is tomato soup, and after seeing the heron and shark devouring other fish in the sea, Eustace decides that living with Bear is far preferable to returning to the ocean. Cho milks maximum hilarity out of the dichotomy between Bear’s words and actions (readers will put as much stock in Bear’s assurances as Eustace does). Panels outlined in rope amid gouache and colored pencil imbue the narrative with a nicely nautical feel.
A foe is tricked into friendship and everyone’s a winner in this fresh and funny tale. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9780063321847
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: tomorrow
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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