Readers of this high-energy story who count sheep are in for plenty of giggles.
A child becomes frustrated by rambunctious sheep—but misses them when they vanish—in this picture book.
A pale-skinned, short-haired youngster in footie pajamas just can’t sleep with the moon shining so brightly in the bedroom. “To try to sleep / I counted sheep / But they’re a noisy flock of bleat,” the kid complains. And the sheep certainly do cause a lot of trouble, playing games, upsetting the lamp, and diving into the laundry. Eventually, they all nod off, and the child wonders if maybe counting snails would make for a better night’s sleep. The next evening, the snails arrive, and although they paint glistening trails across the bedroom, fantastically depicted in vibrant green in Barrow’s illustrations, they also snore, keeping the child awake. The youngster ends up wishing for the boisterous sheep instead. Readers familiar with Howell’s humorous rhymes and unique worldview from such titles as Glimmer! (2019) are sure to be pleased with this clever tale. The repetition of the rhyming syllables makes this story a perfect read-aloud, especially for lap readers who want to chime in on the rhymes. Barrow’s digital paintings, similar in style to another of his counting misadventures, Down on the Ranch (2019), maximize the nighttime chaos and perfectly capture the child’s growing exasperation.
Readers of this high-energy story who count sheep are in for plenty of giggles.Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-73371-708-3
Page Count: 34
Publisher: Doodle and Peck Publishing
Review Posted Online: March 13, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
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