A gentle tale of friendship and gratitude.
Sometimes the best cures for the blues are the unexpected ones.
In the latest story in the Little Hedgehog and Friends series, Fox is grumpy. He has a cold, a stubbed paw, and no hot chocolate. Trying to cheer him up, Hedgehog, who’s out looking for mistletoe, suggests going for a walk through the snowy woods and thinking about all the things Fox is thankful for. It doesn’t work, though. When Rabbit and the mice bring hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies, Fox begins to feel better until he sneezes and drops the refreshments, and snow from a nearby tree falls onto his back. Fox leaves in a huff, and his friends worry about him getting home safely in the snow and dark. Conveniently, Fox’s borrowed hat starts unraveling, and the yarn leaves a trail for Hedgehog to follow. After Hedgehog finds Fox and they start toward Fox’s home, Hedgehog trips and tumbles down a steep hill. When Fox rescues Hedgehog, he says, “My bad mood stopped me from seeing how lucky I am to have a friend like you!” Soon all the friends are together and enjoying a sleepover at Fox’s. Though some may find this one a little on the sweet side, it’s a cozy tale nevertheless. Illustrations in a soft palette enhance the story and create a delightful wintry woodland world for Fox and his friends. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A gentle tale of friendship and gratitude. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68010-286-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
Safe to creep on by.
Carle’s famous caterpillar expresses its love.
In three sentences that stretch out over most of the book’s 32 pages, the (here, at least) not-so-ravenous larva first describes the object of its love, then describes how that loved one makes it feel before concluding, “That’s why… / I[heart]U.” There is little original in either visual or textual content, much of it mined from The Very Hungry Caterpillar. “You are… / …so sweet,” proclaims the caterpillar as it crawls through the hole it’s munched in a strawberry; “…the cherry on my cake,” it says as it perches on the familiar square of chocolate cake; “…the apple of my eye,” it announces as it emerges from an apple. Images familiar from other works join the smiling sun that shone down on the caterpillar as it delivers assurances that “you make… / …the sun shine brighter / …the stars sparkle,” and so on. The book is small, only 7 inches high and 5 ¾ inches across when closed—probably not coincidentally about the size of a greeting card. While generations of children have grown up with the ravenous caterpillar, this collection of Carle imagery and platitudinous sentiment has little of his classic’s charm. The melding of Carle’s caterpillar with Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE on the book’s cover, alas, draws further attention to its derivative nature.
Safe to creep on by. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Dec. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-448-48932-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2021
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BOOK REVIEW
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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
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BOOK REVIEW
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