This perky tale shows that the most enjoyable rewards are those that follow hard work and that true satisfaction comes when...
A hardworking bunny is fresh out of carrots, so he ventures out into his community to find some.
From the moment readers meet LaRue, it is clear that this bunny is exceptionally well-organized. His tools are hung neatly in order, his work area is spotless, and his safety goggles are perched atop his head, ready to be used when needed. On his search for sustenance, LaRue discovers that many of the animals in his community once had carrots, but they have recently all been lost to a disaster that is alluded to but not explicitly explained. Despite this hardship, the animals all present a pleasant affect. Ivy, a squirrel, even shares with LaRue a mysterious, large orange ball she has recently found. In pictures that accompany a text that doesn’t shy away from vocabulary-building words such as “industrious” and “doused,” LaRue is shown planting the mystery ball and growing an enormous carrot. Rather than hoard it all to himself, LaRue shares his harvest with his neighbors. The charming illustrations and narrative both provide ample opportunity for young readers and adults to interact by naming what they see, speculating on the characters’ feelings, and predicting what might happen next. Children captivated by construction will especially enjoy poring over the illustrations of LaRue’s tools and equipment.
This perky tale shows that the most enjoyable rewards are those that follow hard work and that true satisfaction comes when we share our good fortune with others. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 24, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-62779-270-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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