Reader beware, you just might explode…with laughter.
In this follow-up to Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion (2021), a dangerously adorable kitty and her pug pal are a city’s only hope when an enormous kaiju begins wreaking havoc.
Crunchazaur eats everything—and everyone—in his path. Panic ensues as he gobbles up “all the top leaders and thinkers.” Luckily, their intern survives and knows just who to call: Fluffy McWhiskers and Potato the pug. These two are so precious that anyone who looks upon them instantly explodes. They inhabit a remote desert island—where they can’t inadvertently detonate anyone—but now might be the time to use their power for the good of all. They immediately begin practicing their most enticing poses and trying on their most fetching outfits. When their cuteness reaches catastrophic levels (and their island home blows up), they know they’re ready to save the world. They try to distract Crunchazaur with delicious pizzas, but he eats them anyway. Unfortunately for him, the duo are not only explosively cute—they are also explosively delicious, and with a “KA BOOM!,” Crunchazaur’s reign comes to an end. Blending extreme sweetness with a slyly mordant streak of humor, Martin and Tavis serve up an adventure just as goofy as this pair’s first outing. Featuring an all-animal cast, Tavis’ hand-drawn and digitally painted illustrations zing with color, energy, and cuteness; even the voracious Crunchazaur feels less like a rampaging Godzilla and more like an overexcited toddler.
Reader beware, you just might explode…with laughter. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: June 10, 2025
ISBN: 9781665956123
Page Count: 40
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025
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
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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