An amusing addition to a series that is sure to please newly independent readers.
In Saunders’ illustrated children’s book, class pet day is interrupted by a talking parakeet.
Schoolgirl Wesley Rose is unsure about what to do when she’s assigned to bring a pet to school. While she ponders whether or not she can get away with bringing the plastic blowfish she won at a carnival, her best friend Margie wonders what the classroom will be like filled with pets, especially with her parakeet Kiki in the mix. The girls know all too well how much Kiki loves to talk; they’re the ones who taught her. While some of what Kiki says is nonsense, sometimes Kiki tells the truth, even if it’s a secret. Just as they feared, Kiki proves to be a constant distraction at school the next day. When Wesley Rose presents her blowfish to the class, Kiki interrupts: “I’ve got a seeecret. I’ve got a secret.” Then, while Mrs. Hinkle, Wesley Rose’s teacher, conducts a spelling test, Kiki spells out the answers for the kid. Finally, when Mrs. Hinkle has had enough and sends Kiki to the coat closet, the bird falls asleep, snores, and falls off her own perch, creating yet more distractions. When the lunch bell rings, Wesley Rose and Margie want to stay in the classroom to make sure Kiki doesn’t cause more trouble, but Mrs. Hinkle shoos them away. One of their classmates, Kevin, lags behind, and Kiki hears hissecret, one that will lead to Wesley Rose and Margie getting their classmate help with his mysterious problem. Saunders’ second Wesley Rose book is energized by the protagonist’s good-humored personality and Kiki’s silly shenanigans in the classroom. While the narrative feels slightly disjointed when the focus shifts to Kevin, a character who seems to come out of the blue, the hand-drawn illustrations by the real-life Wesley Rose (on whom the series is based) lend an innocent charm to the finer story points.
An amusing addition to a series that is sure to please newly independent readers. (ages 5-7)Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2024
ISBN: 979-8344763927
Page Count: 36
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Feb. 21, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
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