A furry friendship certain to be the envy of young readers everywhere.
Just your typical lost pet tale, with a significant twist.
One day a bespectacled child finds a bear in the park. Or, as the young narrator puts it, “I’ve always wanted a dog. And then one day…I found one.” Convinced that the creature is a rather large canine, the youngster builds him a home and finds him to be a delightful companion, fond of games and dress-up. The protagonist puts up Lost Dog signs, but no one claims him. Better still, bullies leave the child alone, and even the dark has lost its more frightening qualities. Unfortunately, one day the “dog” runs away, and the child must come to terms with this loss. The book then proceeds to give readers not one but two endings. The child finds a lost “kitty” (with a significant mane), and the “dog” and his new family return. This second ending feels superfluous in what is otherwise a charmer of a book, its warm predator/prey relationship much in the same vein as Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea (1968). Sala, serving both as artist and translator for this tale originally written in Italian by Tortolini, drenches the book in jewel tones that exude a singular comfort. The protagonist is brown-skinned; other characters are diverse.
A furry friendship certain to be the envy of young readers everywhere. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781990252303
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Milky Way Picture Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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
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
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
