Cheerful but preachy exhortation to leave the nest.
In a parable of persistence and tough love, adorable, anthropomorphized pigeons underscore the importance of positivity.
Sporting a purple bow around her neck, Mama pigeon flies in from parts unknown, and before we even see eggs, three babies appear: Chérie, Bisou, and Petite. Her siblings begin learning to fly, but Petite finds it impossible and decides that she will not. Mama cradles and indulges her, but in the morning, Petite finds herself alone in the nest. To her cries of hunger, her mother responds: Fly or wait for Mama to return. She waits. The next morning, fog seems a good excuse to stay in, but Mama tells her that, cloudy or sunny, pigeons must fly. Petite tries again, and Voila! Suddenly the sight of the distant nest causes her to plummet. Her siblings shout “Fly” and “Flap your wings,” and Petite triumphs. A final spread underscores the heavy-handedly delivered lesson: Negative thinking is bad, positive thinking is good, and encouragement is all you need to succeed. The supersweet illustrations focus on the airbrushed nest, the pastel sky, and the cute pigeons, who have expressive eyebrows above their round eyes. Defying gravity, the nest perches precariously on the end of a branch. The setting could be any city; nothing in the artwork evokes Paris but a couple of misty Eiffel Tower outlines. There’s no missing the story’s point, however. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Cheerful but preachy exhortation to leave the nest. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: April 15, 2023
ISBN: 9781534111820
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 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
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
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