A murky timeline plus a bland text make for an insubstantial read.
An idyllic sojourn in a leafy park alongside the water serves as the setting for a poem about friendship and sharing.
The gentle line-and-color paintings, full of children and adults engaged in many activities, obliquely illuminate the well-meaning but clichéd poetic text. The four-line rhyming stanzas read like so many other works of this type: “Deep in your heart, / the knowing is there. / You know how to love, / and you know how to care.” The pages hold adventures for the children, as viewers follow a small brown-skinned tot in a blue-and-white shirt through the pictures. Judging by the child’s growth from a babe in arms, some years elapse, but neither the child’s outfit nor the seasons change—a disorienting visual choice. Characters of many ages and racial presentations, as well as some with visible disabilities, mark the diversity that is central to the theme of loving kindness as they all play games and frolic. The child in the striped shirt helps a White-presenting kid who slips. Rain starts to fall, but then a rainbow appears and all is well again. A different child with beige skin doesn’t want to share a kite with the brown-skinned protagonist, but the poem explains that “Not everyone feels like it / every day.” A lovely two-page spread ends the book with everyone floating paper boats on the water. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 29.5% of actual size.)
A murky timeline plus a bland text make for an insubstantial read. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-11457-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2020
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily.
A group of young “dinosauruses” go out into the world on their own.
A fuchsia little Hugasaurus and her Pappysaur (both of whom resemble Triceratops) have never been apart before, but Hugasaurus happily heads off with lunchbox in hand and “wonder in her heart” to make new friends. The story has a first-day-of-school feeling, but Hugasaurus doesn’t end up in a formal school environment; rather, she finds herself on a playground with other little prehistoric creatures, though no teacher or adult seems to be around. At first, the new friends laugh and play. But Hugasaurus’ pals begin to squabble, and play comes to a halt. As she wonders what to do, a fuzzy platypus playmate asks some wise questions (“What…would your Pappy say to do? / What makes YOU feel better?”), and Hugasaurus decides to give everyone a hug—though she remembers to ask permission first. Slowly, good humor is restored and play begins anew with promises to be slow to anger and, in general, to help create a kinder world. Short rhyming verses occasionally use near rhyme but also include fun pairs like ripples and double-triples. Featuring cozy illustrations of brightly colored creatures, the tale sends a strong message about appropriate and inappropriate ways to resolve conflict, the final pages restating the lesson plainly in a refrain that could become a classroom motto. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Gently models kindness and respect—positive behavior that can be applied daily. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-338-82869-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
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