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B. BEAR AND LOLLY

Name: B. BEAR AND LOLLY
Author: A.A. Livingston
ISBN: 978-0-06-219791-7

CATCH THAT COOKIE!

From the B. Bear and Lolly series

by A.A. Livingston ; illustrated by Joey Chou ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2015

The mix of fairy tales is fun, but though things work out for the three friends in the end, Lolly may seem too vengeful for...

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B. Bear and Lolly are back in a tale about owning up to mistakes…and maybe about anger and vengeance too (B. Bear and Lolly: Off to School, 2014).

The “Goldilocks” best friends have a vexing new invention—the porridge their Porridge Perfecter turns out is never quite right. But before they can try again, “BAM!” The Gingerbread Man runs through and destroys the machine, not even stopping to say sorry or help clean up. B. Bear is upset and sad, and Lolly is angry: “Let’s go get him!” But though the two try, readers familiar with the Gingerbread Man’s story will know that he can’t be caught, and his taunting only makes Lolly angrier. “I just want to crumble that cookie!” she yells. Readers might run from Lolly’s expression, too. After a chase scene populated by characters from many fairy tales, the imperfect porridge provides the answer. The Gingerbread Man trembles before the triumphant friends but is immediately contrite, and with his help, not only is the invention fixed, but it actually makes porridge that is “just right.” Chou’s bright illustrations are full of nifty details, though the flatness of the digital artwork can sometimes make them difficult to pick out.

The mix of fairy tales is fun, but though things work out for the three friends in the end, Lolly may seem too vengeful for many readers, adult or child. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: June 23, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-06-219791-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
B. BEAR AND LOLLY
by A.A. Livingston ; illustrated by Joey Chou

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

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.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

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PETE THE CAT'S 12 GROOVY DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

by James Dean ; illustrated by James Dean ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 18, 2018

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among

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Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.

If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”

Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)