Doesn’t it make Mood Monday sound like a good idea? (Picture book. 4-7)
“It was Mood Monday and Theo was the first to share his mood news. ‘Are you in a good mood or a bad mood?’ asked Miss Cady. ‘I don’t know,’ said Theo.” So begins the complicated task of naming Theo’s mood after he’s just met his new baby sister.
Miss Cady’s classroom begins to explore all types of feelings that Theo might be having about being a big brother. Each child takes a turn giving clear examples of many emotions. “Maybe you feel AFRAID like me,” says Ameen. “I got lost in the mall.” Both the text and the bright, expressive illustrations focus squarely on Theo and his friends, with a developmentally appropriate, low priority on the baby. When it is Theo’s turn to speak, he states that he is HAPPY. But he is also jealous and mad and even sad. Cocca-Leffler once again demonstrates her understanding of small children and the complexities of their emotions. Her illustrations depict a convincingly ethnically mixed classroom, with children holding vocabulary-word placards; torn-paper frames against chalkboard-black backgrounds depict their imagined scenarios. “How can you feel all those feelings at the same time?” ask Theo’s classmates. “Because,” he replies, “I FEEL LIKE A BIG BROTHER!” That truly honest conclusion will resonate with older siblings while portraying classmates and teachers as a source of comfort during this transitional time.
Doesn’t it make Mood Monday sound like a good idea? (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-8075-7778-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: July 16, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2013
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
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
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Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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