A story whose message of joie de vivre, especially in adverse situations, is worthwhile; however, it lacks the fresh...
Laid-back Joss and uptight Bob are back; this time the two white friends are on a hike in the woods.
Relaxed Joss and buttoned-up Bob are camping. Bob (pacing in a circle while Joss roasts marshmallows—an illustrative setup that clues readers in to their personality types right away) says camping is boring. Joss suggests a hike. The two set off and immediately get lost. Illustrator Vogel sticks to the obvious as he shows stressed-out Bob with lots of buzzing insects and bug bites while easygoing Joss communes with bluebirds and butterflies. The story follows the same thematic arc as the first book (Bob and Joss Get Lost, 2017): Bob worries and panics, and Joss points out the beauty around them and the opportunities for play, wonder, and appreciation. But this time around the story labors, exemplified by Joss’ worn chicken-soup-for-the-soul–like observations: “If we hadn’t gotten lost, we wouldn’t be here”; “The right one is the right one.” The hidden location-markers joke in this story is the elevation note tabs on the tops of the pages, but they don’t complete the story nearly as precisely or satisfyingly as the GPS coordinates in the first book.
A story whose message of joie de vivre, especially in adverse situations, is worthwhile; however, it lacks the fresh cleverness of the first book. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Jan. 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-241532-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
The insatiable elder is still ingesting the unpalatable, to kids’ everlasting amusement.
Swallowing a rainbow sets off a series of events that lead to a surprising conclusion.
The title character begins by consuming a cloud—and who hasn’t wished to do that? The cloud is meant to carry the rainbow, but why did she swallow it? The somewhat weak answer: “I don’t know why she swallowed a rainbow. Would you like to know?” The cloud is followed by glitter (kids, don’t try this at home!), then by a cone to catch the glitter, a pole to lift the cone, ribbon to tie the cone, and a horse (“silly, of course”). Then suddenly the lady starts to run, and the items painlessly reappear. The cone becomes a unicorn’s horn, and the unicorn becomes part of a small carousel with golden, beribboned poles and two more matching unicorns, topped with the glitter-sprinkled cloud and the rainbow arching over all. The dame and a half-dozen children stand watching in breathless excitement. As per the astoundingly successful formula, the repetitive text is irresistible and the zany art is more than half the fun. The dame’s head swells to accommodate a mouth capable of the necessary swallowing feats, and her small black dog—whose mouth stretches from ear to nose—is on hand to celebrate key moments. The old lady has pink skin and dark hair, and the children have a range of skin tones.
The insatiable elder is still ingesting the unpalatable, to kids’ everlasting amusement. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781546138525
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sure to assuage the fears of all astronauts bound for similar missions.
A genius way to ease kids into the new adventure that is kindergarten.
In an imaginative ruse that’s maintained through the whole book, a young astronaut prepares for his mission to Planet Kindergarten. On liftoff day (a space shuttle–themed calendar counts down the days; a stopwatch, the minutes), the small family boards their rocket ship (depicted in the illustrations as the family car), and “the boosters fire.” They orbit base camp while looking for a docking place. “I am assigned to my commander, capsule, and crewmates.” Though he’s afraid, he stands tall and is brave (not just once, either—the escape hatch beckons, but NASA’s saying gets him through: “FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION”). Parents will certainly chuckle along with this one, but kindergarten teachers’ stomach muscles will ache: “[G]ravity works differently here. We have to try hard to stay in our seats. And our hands go up a lot.” Prigmore’s digital illustrations are the perfect complement to the tongue-in-cheek text. Bold colors, sharp lines and a retro-space style play up the theme. The intrepid explorer’s crewmates are a motley assortment of “aliens”—among them are a kid in a hoodie with the laces pulled so tight that only a nose and mouth are visible; a plump kid with a bluish cast to his skin; and a pinkish girl with a toothpick-thin neck and huge bug eyes.
Sure to assuage the fears of all astronauts bound for similar missions. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4521-1893-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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