A fine addition to the series, this can be enjoyed without having read the earlier installment and will be appreciated by...
Fox and Chick return in this follow-up to The Party: And Other Stories (2018).
Echoing the poignant if occasionally antagonistic friendships of such odd couples as Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad and Tad Hills’ Duck and Goose, Ruzzier has again accomplished the task of telling three funny, meaningful stories using markedly simple vocabulary that occurs almost entirely as dialogue between the two characters in speech bubbles. The temperamental differences between even-tempered, organized Fox and anxiety-prone, excitable Chick play out in both word and image. Appealing, whimsical pen-and-ink illustrations are softly washed with color and are featured throughout in panel layouts of various sizes, some stretching to fill the page, in the style of a scaled-down graphic novel. When, in the final tale, Chick spoils Fox’s plans to catch the sunrise by holding up their departure in puzzling out what supplies will be needed (“Should I take my hammer?” asks Chick), Fox’s expression is a marvel of bewilderment, and readers may fear Chick has pushed it too far. In the end, though, the pair enjoy whiling the day away together and catch the sunset instead, bringing the gentle message of learning to live with, and even appreciate, one another’s quirks full circle.
A fine addition to the series, this can be enjoyed without having read the earlier installment and will be appreciated by new readers. (Early reader. 4-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5289-9
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
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
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Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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