A humorous reminder that all we really need is already within us.
The Alpactory helps critters setting out on new adventures decide just what they need to take with them.
A snake named Ralph worries about packing all the wrong things for a sleepover. A penguin named Marley fears a pencil shortage on the first day of school. And a guinea pig named Cora has “just too much stuff to pack” for an upcoming camping trip. Enter the Alpactory, an alpaca-operated business designed to provide “packing and preparation services for all experiences.” Alpaca Nigel welcomes Ralph, Marley, and Cora to the Alpactory, promising them its workers know “just what you’ll need, guaranteed!” Inside the facility, teams of alpacas select and pack all the right things, including books to prevent loneliness, flashlights to ward off the dark, familiar items to prevent homesickness, clothing for all weather, and even snacks and toys. Unfortunately, Ralph, Marley, and Cora can’t budge their now completely overstuffed suitcases and backpacks, prompting them to reassess what they really need for their new adventures. Humorous, bustling, colorful cartoon illustrations rendered in neat black outlines brim with bevies of wide-eyed, energetic alpacas and fascinating machines selecting, testing, and packing an array of “stuff” on endless conveyors and long assembly lines. Like Ralph, Marley, and Cora, readers should find their Alpactory visit an entertaining one.
A humorous reminder that all we really need is already within us. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-06-290951-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
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
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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