The empowering message here: It’s OK to take your own sweet time, so just believe in yourself.
A young bird discovers that it takes persistence and confidence to accomplish one’s goals.
Today, the Sandpiper children will learn to fly. Two of them are ready; the third, Earnest, isn’t. Earnest’s siblings fly like pros immediately. But Earnest holds back. Fortunately, his parents and siblings are patient. They offer Earnest guidance and reassurance but don’t force the issue. The rest of the family flies down the beach on a practice run, leaving Earnest alone. He makes a flying attempt but fails. Soon he spots a free-flying balloon and follows it into the water. Alas, one of Earnest’s legs becomes tightly entangled in its dangling red ribbon, which itself becomes entwined around a log. The tide’s rising, and Earnest’s cries for help go unanswered until…the sight of his returning family finally arouses sufficient belief in himself that he feels ready to fly. Earnest flaps his wings hard, which snaps the tangled ribbon, thus freeing him to take glorious flight, to the cheers of his proud family—and of readers, who’ll have been rooting for Earnest all along. This reassuring story is about bolstering self-esteem and doing things at one’s own pace; would that everyone were surrounded by the encouraging support and love Earnest enjoys. The colorful charcoal, ink, and acrylic illustrations are cheerful and expressive. An author’s note offers more information on the dangers balloons pose to wildlife.
The empowering message here: It’s OK to take your own sweet time, so just believe in yourself. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9780763697358
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
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
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
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