A jubilant tale of empathy and rib-tickling calamity.
In author Keres and illustrator Lin’s latest picture-book series installment, Finn the Frog learns a lesson about caring for others.
Finn is aware that he lives inside a book and is rather caught up in the idea of his own renown. When it transpires that the reader is feeling ill, one of the amphibian’s first reactions is worry for himself. He rallies, though, and tries to diagnose and treat the unseen patient—only for the reader to sneeze (in a splendidly disgusting rendering of yellow mucus), causing Finn to contract the sickness himself. The reader then attempts to treat Finn, with unfortunate consequences, due to the incompatibility of human medicine and frog biology. Ultimately, it’s kindness that makes Finn feel better and teaches him to be less self-absorbed. Keres narrates from Finn’s perspective, addressing readers directly through the frog’s vainglorious soliloquies. A large, faux handprinted typeface, enlivened by judicious use of colorful and boldface emphases, shares a white backdrop with Lin’s watercolor illustrations. Lin’s creative style evokes classic illustrator Quentin Blake’s work while also establishing an intimate protagonist-reader dynamic that calls to mind author Jon Stone and illustrator Mike Smollin’s classic, The Monster at the End of This Book (1971). The combination is endearing, and the gross-out subject matter is sure to appeal to young children.
A jubilant tale of empathy and rib-tickling calamity.Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
ISBN: 9781964021027
Page Count: -
Publisher: Flypaper Press
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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