A clever, funny prod to do the right thing when changes take root.
A newcomer tests the friendship between a porcupine and his beloved tree, Mildred.
Being well used to playing games with his silent, leafy partner, conducting one-sided conversations, and having her all to himself, Norman is outraged when a sapling springs up nearby: “And WHO is THAT?!” Seeing his best friend drifting away (figuratively), Norman is soon driven by anger and insecurity to dig up his leafy rival in the dead of night and cart it very, very far away—only to be wracked by both fear of being found out and, more worthily, guilt a little later. “I have hit rock bottom!” he declares, falling into the still-open hole next to Mildred, and so hastens off to fetch back the new tree and accommodate himself to being one of three…or, as Higgins suggests in a final scene, maybe more. A tubby figure with wide eyes and a worried expression, Norman strongly resembles a plush toy or inexcusably cute toddler in the mix of large cartoon panels and full-page scenes. Younger children, even those without new sibs or other strangers horning into the family, will have no trouble seeing him as a stand-in or understanding his upset. Along with appreciating the sly Giving Tree vibe and the comical way the narrative and the balloon-enclosed dialogue play off each other, older audiences may see a bit of a message for them, too.
A clever, funny prod to do the right thing when changes take root. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-368-02623-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 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
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
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