A humorous tale in which everyone gets what they want—even a negative cat!
Sometimes things aren’t what they seem at first.
A child with brown skin has been asking for a cat for 427 days! His family finally says yes if he agrees to certain conditions, including reading every day. Uh-oh; reading is not this child’s favorite activity. When the cat arrives, he reveals his true personality—gloomy. He won’t play, listen to jokes, or fetch. What’s worse, he leaves a hairball on the carpet, poops in the vestibule, and stares at the wall. What’s even worse is that the kid’s parents point out their unmet conditions. What to do? Well, as it turns out, what the cat likes best is what the child likes least—reading. An unusual cat for sure. Set against brown-paper backgrounds, the illustrations feature muted tones of orange, pink, blue, and green. Attention has been paid to portraying a variety of skin tones, from lighter beige to deeper brown, both within the protagonist’s interracial family and among his friends; however, the mother’s facial features lack consistency. Varying compositions in the spreads adds to the tension and resolution of the story. Understated text brings a dry sense of humor to the child’s plight even if the interactions between the child and the family seem at times a bit adversarial. An author’s note describes the true event on which this story is based and offers readers ideas on how they can go read to animals. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A humorous tale in which everyone gets what they want—even a negative cat! (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-399-25719-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
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
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
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