No one may have asked this first-time author’s feline character if he wanted a brother, but that doesn’t keep him from roundly enjoying the miscreant’s antics and, ultimately, the pleasure of his company. Bo was king of the roost—“I slept, I played, I ate, and I slept some more. How could you beat that?” —when who should arrive unbidden in a carrying case but little Tiger, all full of vim and curiosity. It takes Bo just about a two-page spread (and seven days/vignettes) to comes to terms with his new circumstances, “By Sunday I just had to laugh” and then he joins in the pleasure of having someone to play with. That is the simple point of Henry’s brief tale. He doesn’t require heroics on the part of the newcomer or an outlandish working of fate to begrudge some acceptance; his message is to get with the program, show a measure of joy in the new guy’s existence, and everyone will be a whole lot happier. Which is not to say there will be no differences of opinion: “But please get off my head!” Henry’s artwork, with its electric colors and cartoon characters, has an antic charm as he depicts the two tossing socks, climbing the refrigerator, and sitting in the tub watching the water drip. A minor crisis—a missing Tiger—brings Bo back to each of their play spots and will bring readers back to the story. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: June 30, 2001
ISBN: 0-688-17865-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2001
Lola’s daddy takes her to the library every Saturday, where she finds “excellent books,” and every night her mommy or daddy reads them to her. The next day Lola acts out the story. On Sunday she’s a fairy princess; on Monday she takes her toy animals “on fantastic trips to places like Paris”; on Wednesday she’s a tiger, etc. Each new book and day provides Lola with a variety of tales to play out, with the last one—which is about a wild monster—posing the question, “What will Lola be tomorrow?” The final page shows her in a wolf suit just like Max’s. The library books, the pretending and the incorporation of the days of the week work together as a simple and pleasing premise. Beardshaw’s acrylic illustrations depict the multicultural kids and Lola’s black family with childlike charm, while the title will have librarians, parents and booksellers smiling. Alert: The book will be an invitation for lap kids to follow Lola’s lead—not such a bad thing. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58089-258-2
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2010
This is a tremendously moving story, but some people will be moved only on the second reading, after they’ve Googled “How to...
A hug shouldn’t require an instruction manual—but some do.
A porcupine can frighten even the largest animal. In this picture book, a bear and a deer, along with a small rabbit, each run away when they hear eight simple words and their name: “I need a hug. Will you cuddle me,…?” As they flee, each utters a definitive refusal that rhymes with their name. The repetitive structure gives Blabey plenty of opportunities for humor, because every animal responds to the question with an outlandish, pop-eyed expression of panic. But the understated moments are even funnier. Each animal takes a moment to think over the request, and the drawings are nuanced enough that readers can see the creatures react with slowly building anxiety or, sometimes, a glassy stare. These silent reaction shots not only show exquisite comic timing, but they make the rhymes in the text feel pleasingly subtle by delaying the final line in each stanza. The story is a sort of fable about tolerance. It turns out that a porcupine can give a perfectly adequate hug when its quills are flat and relaxed, but no one stays around long enough to find out except for an animal that has its own experiences with intolerance: a snake. It’s an apt, touching moral, but the climax may confuse some readers as they try to figure out the precise mechanics of the embrace.
This is a tremendously moving story, but some people will be moved only on the second reading, after they’ve Googled “How to pet a porcupine.” (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 29, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-29710-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2018
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