Gentle humor and bubbly fun.
Embarrassed by his lack of underpants, an octopus discovers why he doesn’t need them.
Written as a ballad, this jaunty tale is giggle-producing. Having six legs too many for the standard briefs, he finds no one who can supply him with the appropriate clothing. “I’ve even tried to shop online. / I tried to surf the net.” But then he discovers the Under-Sea Emporium, which has clothing for every kind of sea creature from barnacles to rainbow trout—and with snazzy designs as well. Even better, the sea horse storekeeper solves the protagonist’s problem. The choice of meter supports the cheerful tone, and Senior’s rhyme and rhythm work beautifully. Powell fills the pages with lively, surprising sea creatures; on one spread they all wear underpants of some kind, and on another several sport hats. Her training in graphic design and background in animation are reflected in careful pacing of the storyboard, which will show reasonably well to groups, but lap-sitters will find humorous details on these pages, drawn by hand and colored digitally. Questions of accuracy are irrelevant in this kind of light verse, but for the sake of the rhyme the writer has used a nonstandard plural, “octopi,” though biologists prefer “octopuses.” And, as is customary in cartoons, the illustrator has placed the octopus’s eyes and mouth on its mantle instead of on the head in the middle. It would be helpful to balance a storytime presentation with something more realistic.
Gentle humor and bubbly fun. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68010-097-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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