A slim storyline is enhanced by the detailed illustrations and the absurd behavior of adults who need a lesson in listening.
An elephant comes to play, but none of the adults realizes that anything is unusual.
A little white girl has just moved into a new house. When a small elephant shows up, the girl tries to tell her mom, dad, and grandmother, but the distracted grown-ups believe she must be the girl next door and just keep repeating the titular phrase, “Ella WHO?” Although this is a one-joke story, the digital illustrations, softer in color and more delicate than many done in this medium, are amusing. When dad reaches for a wrench as he fixes the shower, the elephant quite naturally hands it to him with her trunk. The elephant reads a book that looks suspiciously like David McKee’s Elmer. Finally, a black man wearing a uniform with the word “sanctuary” shows up, looking for an elephant. The adults he queries tell him they haven’t seen one, but when the little girl reads the “missing” flier he leaves behind, she uses the facts to verify the elephant’s identity. She calls Fiona by name, confirms that the elephant loves apples but dislikes green beans, and phones the man to pick up the elephant. Her family remains oblivious to the day’s events. They are each busy in the living room as the little girl spots yet another animal in their front yard—a baboon, another escapee from the wild animal sanctuary down the street.
A slim storyline is enhanced by the detailed illustrations and the absurd behavior of adults who need a lesson in listening. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 11, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1904-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Jan. 31, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
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)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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