A misbehaved mule gets an etiquette lesson in Edwards’s (Little Brown Hen’s Shower, p. 410, etc.) humorous tale. “What would you do if a mule knocked on your door one day and said ‘I’ve come for lunch?’ ” asks the opening spread. “You’d say, ‘Hello! Come in, Mule.’ ” But rudeness ensues as the mule resists his host’s suggestions, then throws a tantrum when he doesn’t get his way. Each time, the boy waits patiently until his guest acquiesces. (“What if he came in and sat down at the table? You’d say ‘Mule, wash your hooves before lunch.’ But what if he said ‘Won’t!’ You’d say, ‘No lunch for you then.’ ”) Nascimbeni’s (Small Brown Dog’s Bad Remembering Day, 2000, etc.) saturated mixed-media illustrations provide vivid accompaniment as the meal gets progressively messier. A full-bleed illustration steeped in heady tones of tomato red and rust orange depicts the mule slurping spaghetti. Curly noodles loop through the air as the boy nearly falls off his seat. Opposite, a vignette shows the boy standing up to the horrible house guest (“Mule, eat your food quietly”). By the end, a series of vignettes shows the pair riding a toy train, playing hide and seek, blowing bubbles, and, finally, taking a nap—the rewards of proper behavior. For fans of Laura Numeroff’s Mouse stories (below), Edward’s effort may seem like déjà vu. But by making her host cool as cucumber and totally in charge, Edwards gives her tale a twist. It’s Emily Post for the preschool set, an appealing and laugh-inducing introduction to civilized living. (author’s note on mules) (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-8050-7007-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
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