Even taking into consideration the anemic finale, the joy evident in Marigold’s meticulous attention to his confectionery...
A pinch of finch? A smidgen of pigeon? Marigold the persnickety perfectionist pussycat knows what his cake doesn’t need—a kitchen filled with toque-headed birdbrains.
But despite best-laid plans (Monday is, after all, baking day), the marmalade cat’s inner sanctum gradually calls to mind Mel Brooks’ version of Hitchcock. When a trio of loons materializes, Marigold loses it. Fangs bared, claws extended, and fur spiked, Marigold explodes in a “full-on feline frenzy!” Throughout the mad apron-slinging and -flinging, the birds remain laughingly unflappable—well, they do flap, but their grins remain in place. Tossing in the towel, he abandons the culinary chaos and stomps from the house. Malbrough’s sprightly illustrations chronicle the comic progression from Marigold’s serene satisfaction to his Vesuvian outbursts. The birds’ reactions are perfect foils to Marigold’s devolution from erudite to feral. The sharply focused watercolors against the crisp white background are as successful as the economic text in setting up Marigold for epic failure. The escalating tension raises expectations of a rousing payoff. To the detriment of the well-developed storyline and lively language, Malbrough appears to vacillate between wanting to develop a mentoring/teaching partnership between Marigold and his avian interlopers and fueling the traditional adversarial cat-bird relationship.
Even taking into consideration the anemic finale, the joy evident in Marigold’s meticulous attention to his confectionery creations may be enough to satisfy young pastry chefs–in-the-making. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5247-3738-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: April 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2017
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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