Young audiences will join in the general applause, and they may come away with a broadened notion of what a “win” looks like...
Doodler concocts an updated—and considerably tweaked—version of “The Tortoise and the Hare.”
There’s no “slow and steady” here. Grimly determined to beat Shelly “Shell on Wheels” Turtle, for once, in the annual Pickleberry Grand Prix, Rod the dachshund sets out to design and build a homemade racer. With help from Goldie Goldfish and after many failed experiments, Rod roars to the starting line in a souped-up lawn mower (as previewed on the cover, wreathed in flames thanks to an embedded spinner) fitted with “an extra-special mystery button.” The race is on! In the thick-lined, very simple cartoons, an all-animal cast stands on hind legs (or fins) beside an array of race cars with clever monikers like Goldie’s “Fishbowler” and Charlie Chicken’s “Egg-Sterminator.” Roaring around the track, Rod and Shelly are neck and neck…until a patch of oil suddenly sends Shelly into a tailspin. Rather than let her crash, Rod pushes the mystery button—to activate an ejection seat—snags Shelly as he flies by, and carries her over the finish line to a shared triumph. In the last scene, he and his erstwhile rival (evidently a good sport) share the trophy as they wave from the winner’s stand.
Young audiences will join in the general applause, and they may come away with a broadened notion of what a “win” looks like too. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-6607-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies.
Pigeon finds something better to drive than some old bus.
This time it’s Santa delivering the fateful titular words, and with a “Ho. Ho. Whoa!” the badgering begins: “C’mon! Where’s your holiday spirit? It would be a Christmas MIRACLE! Don’t you want to be part of a Christmas miracle…?” Pigeon is determined: “I can do Santa stuff!” Like wrapping gifts (though the accompanying illustration shows a rather untidy present), delivering them (the image of Pigeon attempting to get an oversize sack down a chimney will have little ones giggling), and eating plenty of cookies. Alas, as Willems’ legion of young fans will gleefully predict, not even Pigeon’s by-now well-honed persuasive powers (“I CAN BE JOLLY!”) will budge the sleigh’s large and stinky reindeer guardian. “BAH. Also humbug.” In the typically minimalist art, the frustrated feathered one sports a floppily expressive green and red elf hat for this seasonal addition to the series—but then discards it at the end for, uh oh, a pair of bunny ears. What could Pigeon have in mind now? “Egg delivery, anyone?”
A stocking stuffer par excellence, just right for dishing up with milk and cookies. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781454952770
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Union Square Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
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