by Pamela Duncan Edwards & illustrated by Henry Cole ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 2003
Having done with the letters C, F, and S, Edwards and Cole offer an alliterative run of R to cheer a story of graceful, if unintentional, gift-giving. Rosie the raccoon and her brother Robert are on their way to their Aunt Ruth’s house. Rosie has a clutch of four roses to give her aunt. As they ramble along, Rosie notices she is missing one. Robert thinks perhaps the rat they just passed might have picked it up. Indeed he has—“Rogue,” cries Rosie—but she also notices that it lights up his dank quarters, so she leaves it as a gift. As the two gambol their way to Aunt Ruth’s, they manage to drop all the roses, and all the roses are picked up by deserving souls: a robin bringing some gaiety to her sick husband, a rabbit offering balm to his frazzled wife, a bride about to be married without a garland for her hair. Rosie will call them rapscallions and rascals before she learns the situation. So sweet a soul is Rosie, that readers will agree with Aunt Ruth when she tells Rosie, “you’re my prize rose.” A sensitive little tale that teaches by clear example, kept on the light side with Cole’s gladdening artwork and all those repeat letters: if it isn’t “rowdy rabbit children romping everywhere,” it’s “a rumor that Mr. Robin has raging strep throat.” Really rewarding. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: April 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-06-028997-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2003
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by Jimmy Fallon ; illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 13, 2025
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren.
Awards & Accolades
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14
Our Verdict
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New York Times Bestseller
In talk-show host Fallon and illustrator Ordóñez’s latest picture-book collaboration, an elderly pooch waxes rhapsodic about a life well lived.
Observing Papa sitting in his chair watching TV all day, a young pup says, “I’m starting to think…you don’t do ANYTHING.” So Papa proceeds to list his accomplishments, both big and small, mundane and profound. Some are just a result of being older and physically bigger (being tall enough to reach a high shelf and strong enough to open jars); others include winning a race and performing in a band when he was younger. Eventually, the pup realizes that while Papa may have slowed down in his old age, he’s led a full life. The most satisfying thing about Papa’s life now? Watching his grandchild take center stage: “I can say lots of thoughts / but I choose to be quiet. / I’d rather you discover things and then try it.” Fallon’s straightforward text is sweetly upbeat, though it occasionally lacks flow, forcing incongruous situations together to fit the rhyme scheme (“I cook and I mow, / and I once flew a plane. // I play newspaper puzzles because it’s good for my brain”). Featuring uncluttered, colorful backgrounds, Ordóñez’s child-friendly digital art at times takes on sepia tones, evoking the sense of looking back at old photos or memories. Though the creators tread familiar ground, the love between Papa and his little one is palpable.
A tale of intergenerational bonding to be shared by grandparents and grandchildren. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9781250393975
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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by Peter Brown ; illustrated by Peter Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 24, 2025
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
Awards & Accolades
Likes
15
Our Verdict
GET IT
New York Times Bestseller
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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