Even if the philosophy doesn’t land, the playful illustrations will still appeal to readers.
In this tale translated from German, a child raises a profound question.
At bedtime, Ludwig strikes up a conversation with a rhinoceros. Hearing the chatter, Ludwig’s caregiver enters the bedroom and, not seeing the animal, tries to convince Ludwig that there can’t possibly be a rhinoceros here. The caregiver searches the room, never seeing the rhinoceros. Readers share Ludwig’s perspective and spot the elusive creature on every page. Ludwig argues that it’s not possible to prove the rhino isn’t here—after all, the moon is in the sky even though they can’t see it. The backmatter notes that this concept is a play on philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein’s question of how to prove something isn’t there, which is much harder than proving something is. The philosophical theory might go over some young readers’ heads but could still be thought-provoking. The illustrations rely on just three colors—bright blue, yellow, and red (which blend into other colors when printed on top of one another)—while still giving dimension to shadows and details like wood grain on the dresser. Giving little ones—Ludwig and readers—the power of owning the book’s perspective is an interesting flip of traditional adult-child dynamics. Here, the child holds the knowledge that the adult struggles to understand. Ludwig and the caregiver have yellow skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Even if the philosophy doesn’t land, the playful illustrations will still appeal to readers. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780735845275
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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
Echoes of Runaway Bunny color this exchange between a bath-averse piglet and his patient mother. Using a strategy that would probably be a nonstarter in real life, the mother deflects her stubborn offspring’s string of bath-free occupational conceits with appeals to reason: “Pirates NEVER EVER take baths!” “Pirates don’t get seasick either. But you do.” “Yeesh. I’m an astronaut, okay?” “Well, it is hard to bathe in zero gravity. It’s hard to poop and pee in zero gravity too!” And so on, until Mom’s enticing promise of treasure in the deep sea persuades her little Treasure Hunter to take a dive. Chunky figures surrounded by lots of bright white space in Segal’s minimally detailed watercolors keep the visuals as simple as the plotline. The language isn’t quite as basic, though, and as it rendered entirely in dialogue—Mother Pig’s lines are italicized—adult readers will have to work hard at their vocal characterizations for it to make any sense. Moreover, younger audiences (any audiences, come to that) may wonder what the piggy’s watery closing “EUREKA!!!” is all about too. Not particularly persuasive, but this might coax a few young porkers to get their trotters into the tub. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25425-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
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