A single ball of yarn threatens and then strengthens an animal friendship in this slight tale. (Picture book. 4-6)
One ball of yarn plus two BFFs who both knit can lead to good intentions and a frayed friendship.
Badger and Porcupine share their days and their meals. One day, a peddler passing by drops a ball of red yarn, which unrolls entirely till it is one long string stretched out and wound around the woods. Porcupine and Badger each pick up one end. Each is industrious, and with knitting needles in hand they proceed to fashion gifts, each for the other, to the tune of “Floop. Floop. Floop-floop-floop.” When their projects unravel and they realize that they are sharing one ball, however, the two fall into a snit and proceed to fashion increasingly grand objects for themselves. A hammock, a tent, and a sail for a boat are all knit and purled into creation. But then night falls, the temperature drops, and the two meet on an icy field to exchange sweaters that they have made for each other. All is well in their world now. Moser’s tale of a friendship that cannot be torn apart by selfishness is sweet but not unfamiliar. Demidova’s colorful illustrations depict a lovely forest setting and a swirling strand of red yarn. Children may ponder the dilemma of a porcupine wearing a knit garment, though.
A single ball of yarn threatens and then strengthens an animal friendship in this slight tale. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-8075-0762-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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
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