Plenty of opportunities for storytime jumps and laughs.
Sneaky cows dupe a farmer.
Farmer George’s farm is fairly ordinary. Pigs wallow in the muck, and sheep graze in the meadow. All the animals seem to make their expected, predictable sounds. But when it comes to the cows…they are nowhere to be found! Farmer George is flummoxed, asking readers, “Where did all the cows go?” After an aptly placed page turn, the cows jump out from behind a tree, yelling, “BOO!” Farmer George is not amused. “NO, NO, NO! Pigs go oink, sheep go baa, but cows do not go BOO. Cows go MOO! Please try to get it right.” And the simple, merry narrative picks back up, going through all the mechanical sounds heard on a farm (truck, tractor), but the cows tellingly disappear. One page turn later, out they pop, scaring the bewhiskered, White-presenting farmer yet again. Readers will delight in the mischievous bovines’ antics as they perform scare after scare on the exasperated farmer. And even when Farmer George thinks he’s got one up on them, they still have the upper hand, er, hoof. Blunt’s illustrations make the most of the slapstick, the double-page spreads when the cows jump out at Farmer George dominated by diagonals that emphasize the chaos. The story’s pacing might take some practice for maximum comedic effect as a read-aloud, but the droll humor found in this British import, especially the ever annoyed farmer, will keep readers giggling.
Plenty of opportunities for storytime jumps and laughs. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72843-891-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Andersen Press USA
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree.
A Christmas edition of the beloved alphabet book.
The story starts off nearly identically to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989), written by John Archambault and the late Bill Martin Jr, with the letters A, B, and C deciding to meet in the branches of a tree. This time, they’re attempting to scale a Christmas tree, not a coconut tree, and the letters are strung together like garland. A, B, and C are joined by the other letters, and of course they all “slip, slop, topple, plop!” right down the tree. At the bottom, they discover an assortment of gifts, all in a variety of shapes. As a team, the letters and presents organize themselves to get back up on the Christmas tree and get a star to the top. Holiday iterations of favorite tales often fall flat, but this take succeeds. The gifts are an easy way to reinforce another preschool concept—shapes—and the text uses just enough of the original to be familiar. The rhyming works, sticking to the cadence of the source material. The illustrations pay homage to the late Lois Ehlert’s, featuring the same bold block letters, though they lack some of the whimsy and personality of the original. Otherwise, everything is similarly brightly colored and simply drawn. Those familiar with the classic will be drawn to this one, but newcomers can enjoy it on its own.
A successful swap from coconut tree to Christmas tree. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781665954761
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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