Refreshingly, an autumn book that isn’t about Halloween.
Once a year, families and farmers bring barrow-loads of squash for the zoo animals.
Popular novelist Meissner branches out into children’s picture books with this joyous paean to animals and pumpkins. We learn that pumpkins are “crunchy” and “slippery” and that they have seeds. Every page conveys the same message: The animals really like eating the pumpkins! Some rhymes are slightly strained (tummies is rhymed with yummy), and to fill out a line, the author sometimes resorts to repetition: “it’s true, it’s true”; “make way, make way!” Luckily, the exuberant illustrations carry the day. True to Pino’s usual style, the animals are cute, fluffy, and capable of behavior that their wild counterparts aren’t. An airborne hippo leaps acrobatically to grab a lobbed pumpkin, jaws agape in a hungry smile; Dumbo-esque elephants grin toothily. Most of the eating occurs against the backdrop of a zoo with very casual fencing, where zebras cavort close to tiger predators, separated only by a moat. Overindulging produces distended bellies and a peaceable kingdom, with the fiercest carnivores ignoring prey just a paw-length away. Green and brown are relieved by the bright orange on every page. Though most pumpkin-related books are typically tied to spooky season, there are no jack-o’-lanterns here—just voracious animals and the gourds they love. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Refreshingly, an autumn book that isn’t about Halloween. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781400243389
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
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
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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