A lighthearted lesson in letting down barriers.
An armadillo discovers that he may be armor-plated, but he doesn’t have to be thick-skinned.
This unusual friendship trio—Little Lamb, Wolf, and Omelet the alligator—get an unexpected visitor, yet again. The three have just sat down to a lovely picnic when suddenly a boulder crashes through their tasty spread. But it’s not a boulder—it’s a rolled-up armadillo who smacks into a tree. Little Lamb invites the dizzy friend home for dinner to recuperate. She offers a hug as well, but Dizzy refuses, peevishly replying, “I’m a tough armadillo, so I don’t need hugs, thank you very much.” During Dizzy’s stay, Little Lamb offers more hugs, with tiny woolen arms stretched out wide—comforting ones and congratulatory ones—but Dizzy rebuffs each hug. He’s too tough for those. Until, that is, Little Lamb finds herself in a tight spot, with a real boulder crashing toward her. Dizzy saves the day and just might accept a grateful squeeze from a friend. The sixth installment in this U.K. series is a bit meandering, but it's sweet nonetheless. The expressive animals display a range of emotional states, from joy at one another’s company and unsteadiness after a bonk on the head (complete with unsteady eyes) to concern when one of them takes a tumble.
A lighthearted lesson in letting down barriers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781664300439
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: May 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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
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