A necessary reminder that a little assertiveness can go a long way.
Squirrel’s attempts to make a present for a friend keep getting interrupted.
Tucked away in her treehouse, Squirrel realizes that Bear’s birthday is tomorrow. She decides to bake special blueberry cookies for him and sets out to gather the berries. But there is only one blueberry bush in the forest, and it is far away. As Squirrel starts to leave, Fox shows up and asks if she can wait around to give the mail carrier a package. Squirrel does not have time but doesn’t know how to say no. Throughout the day, more and more friends ask for favors that Squirrel is unable to deny. She “gets a lump in her throat” and pushes her own needs to the side to help her friends. But when she finally goes looking for the blueberries, it’s late at night and she falls down a hole. Squirrel’s friends come looking for her and help her realize they will still love her even if she has to say no sometimes. Cozy burnt orange tones mixed with cool purples and blues bring to life this tale translated from Spanish. The large-eyed anthropomorphic animals are endearing, and the setting seems both snug (inside Squirrel’s home) and vast (outdoor scenes). Readers who are oh-so-eager to please will hopefully take Squirrel’s lesson to heart. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A necessary reminder that a little assertiveness can go a long way. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 18, 2023
ISBN: 9788419253194
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
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
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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