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
The premise is worn gossamer thin, and the joke stopped being funny, if it ever was, long ago.
A fairy tending their garden manages to survive a gaggle of young intruders.
In halting cadences typical of the long-running—and increasingly less amusing—How To Catch… series, the startled mite—never seen face-on in Elkerton’s candy-colored pictures and indeterminate of gender—wonders about the racially diverse interlopers: “Do they know that I can grant wishes? / Or that a new fairy is born when they giggle?” The visual action rather belies the sweetness of the verses, the palette, the bright flowers, and the multicolored resident zebras and unicorns, as after repeated, elaborately designed efforts to trap or even shoot (with a peashooter) the fairy come to naught, the laughing children are escorted out of the garden beneath a rising moon. The encounter ends on a (perhaps unconsciously) ominous note. “Hope they find their way back sometime,” the butterfly-winged narrator concludes. “And just maybe next time they’ll stay!” (This book was reviewed digitally.)
The premise is worn gossamer thin, and the joke stopped being funny, if it ever was, long ago. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: March 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781728263205
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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