A lovely foray into a world of mystery and beauty, longing and delight.
Yearning for a playmate to move into the empty house next door, Stella doesn’t miss a beat when the Moon takes up residence.
The youngster ventures into the adjacent yard, greeting the celestial being, whose color (blue or white) and shape (spherical or crescent) vary with the setting. Stella’s sensitive approach encourages the orb to admit to feelings of loneliness and boredom in the sky; the Moon also longs to plant things. When Stella points out that the Moon has a neighbor now, the Moon beams. The beautifully paced narrative contains the specificity, restraint, and humor that make for a truly great picture-book read. Textured digital compositions create changing moods as they move from starlit, inky night scenes to progressively more colorful, cheerful images of the Moon’s burgeoning garden. Black endpapers foreground classical topographical views of the moon, along with facts that underscore the unfolding plot. People and the natural world are affected by the Moon’s absence, so tides aren’t moving, the Earth is wobbling, and midnight cruises have been canceled. The Moon is unperturbed, but as the orb’s role in nature becomes clearer, the Moon relents and returns home. A girl Stella’s age eventually moves in, and friendship blossoms, even as there are subtle, welcomed signals of the Moon’s nearness. Stella is tan-skinned and dark-haired; her new friend is pale-skinned and red-haired.
A lovely foray into a world of mystery and beauty, longing and delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781452180717
Page Count: 52
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 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
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