Toad-ally enchanting.
An ersatz ogre effects lasting happiness.
Upon discovering a tiny ogre in the garden, Princess Clara gives him a new home in a shoe under her bed. They’re soon besties, and at bedtime, Clara finds herself confiding in her new pal. Ever since Clara’s mother died, her father, the king, has had little time for her. She loves frolicking barefoot, climbing trees, and adopting wild creatures, but the “pernickety nanny,” “bossy butler,” and “grumpy gardener” charged with her care disapprove of these activities; they bark orders, shriek at her pets, and, in short, make “life a misery.” Clara’s friend confesses that he’s no ogre; he’s “King Toad” and will grant Clara’s wishes for a mother and a more involved father. He asks to return to the garden, where he invokes an amphibian horde who permanently banish the scolders. Clara throws open her doors to all wild animals. More happiness awaits: Her father returns with a kindly new wife, everyone appreciates running around barefoot, and all enjoy the animals’ company, especially that of King Toad. This charming U.K. import reads like an old-fashioned fairy tale with a few modern twists, complete with a satisfying ending. The delightful illustrations, created with colored pencil and watercolor and finished digitally, sparkle with energy, as do the personable characters, especially King Toad. Clara, her father, and the caretaker staff are pale-skinned; Clara’s new mother is brown-skinned.
Toad-ally enchanting. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781035010264
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Hoots/Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
Warm but underdone.
In this picture book from actor Gyllenhaal and his partner, Caruso, a child and his uncle bond on a fantastic journey.
Leo, an avid dancer, is dismayed when Uncle Mo visits—he’s in town for a “rubber band convention.” Illustrations show both with wavy brown hair and light tan skin. Not only does Leo think his uncle is rather dull, he’s also leery of Uncle Mo’s many rules. A rather abrupt narrative shift occurs when the pair inexplicably drive into another dimension. Here they encounter Great-Aunt Gloria (who is very tall and presents Black) and Uncle Munkle Carbunkle (who is very short and light-skinned), who guide them through the Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles. Unimpressed with Uncle Mo, Great-Aunt Gloria says he must take a quiz on “Auntieology and Uncleology.” After several wrong answers, Uncle Mo has a final chance at redemption: He must state his nephew’s favorite activity. When Leo springs into action to dance for his clueless uncle, a mishap leaves him mortified and un-bespectacled. Enter Uncle Mo to save the day by using a rubber band to secure Leo’s glasses. While Santat’s energetic illustrations do much to clarify the narrative, they can’t fully make up for the disjointed storytelling—it’s never clear why the two have entered this dimension or why Leo is suddenly so eager to help Uncle Mo. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Warm but underdone. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781250776990
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
A delicious triumph over fear of night creatures.
Pippa conquers a fear of the creatures that emerge from her storybooks at night.
Pippa’s “wonderfully wild imagination” can sometimes run “a little TOO wild.” During the day, she wears her “armor” and is a force to be reckoned with. But in bed at night, Pippa worries about “villains and monsters and beasts.” Sharp-toothed and -taloned shadows, dragons, and pirates emerge from her storybooks like genies from a bottle, just to scare her. Pippa flees to her parents’ room only to be brought back time and again. Finally, Pippa decides that she “needs a plan” to “get rid of them once and for all.” She decides to slip a written invitation into every book, and that night, they all come out. She tries subduing them with a lasso, an eye patch, and a sombrero, but she is defeated. Next, she tries “sashes and sequins and bows,” throwing the fashion pieces on the monsters, who…“begin to pose and primp and preen.” After that success, their fashion show becomes a nightly ritual. Clever Pippa’s transformation from scared victim of her own imagination to leader of the monster pack feels fairly sudden, but it’s satisfying nonetheless. The cartoony illustrations effectively use dynamic strokes, shadow, and light to capture action on the page and the feeling of Pippa's fears taking over her real space. Pippa and her parents are brown-skinned with curls of various textures.
A delicious triumph over fear of night creatures. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5420-9300-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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