Unlike Maurice Sendak’s Pierre, Duckworth has no lesson to learn; readers can decide for themselves whether he’s highly...
The difference between a snake and a snake costume is pretty big.
Duckworth is a human boy who wears knickers and stockings and whose hairstyle can only be described as a comb-forward. He’s playing contentedly in his room when a massive, orange-patterned snake slithers out of the closet. Duckworth goes downstairs and informs his parents, but Mother and Father are busy reading a book called Dealing with Your Difficult Child. They consider the snake a figment of Duckworth’s imagination—and even when the snake swallows Duckworth and comes downstairs, they insist it’s merely Duckworth wearing a snake costume. Duckworth, intact and articulate inside the snake, explains the situation, but his parents cleave to the parenting book’s philosophy that Duckworth’s “fantasies will go away if we ignore them.” As the snake sits at the dinner table, Duckworth’s bodily outline can be seen inside the snake’s midsection, far away from the table. The family has no meeting of the minds. Eventually, Duckworth extricates himself from the snake—none the worse for wear—and considers seeking a book about dealing with difficult parents. Sardà’s illustrations blend a gothic sensibility with an art deco style, highlighting geometrical patterns, sharp angles, and a lot of orange and gray. People’s skin color comes from the flat white background paper.
Unlike Maurice Sendak’s Pierre, Duckworth has no lesson to learn; readers can decide for themselves whether he’s highly imaginative or merely unflappable when swallowed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 18, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-0512-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads.
Emma deals with jitters before playing the guitar in the school talent show.
Pop musician Kevin Jonas and his wife, Danielle, put performance at the center of their picture-book debut. When Emma is intimidated by her very talented friends, the encouragement of her younger sister, Bella, and the support of her family help her to shine her own light. The story is straightforward and the moral familiar: Draw strength from your family and within to overcome your fears. Employing the performance-anxiety trope that’s been written many times over, the book plods along predictably—there’s nothing really new or surprising here. Dawson’s full-color digital illustrations center a White-presenting family along with Emma’s three friends of color: Jamila has tanned skin and wears a hijab; Wendy has dark brown skin and Afro puffs; and Luis has medium brown skin. Emma’s expressive eyes and face are the real draw of the artwork—from worry to embarrassment to joy, it’s clear what she’s feeling. A standout double-page spread depicts Emma’s talent show performance, with a rainbow swirl of music erupting from an amp and Emma rocking a glam outfit and electric guitar. Overall, the book reads pretty plainly, buoyed largely by the artwork. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nice enough but not worth repeat reads. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-35207-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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