A sweet and simple story about an intergenerational friendship and the bond between neighbors.
A friendship between a young boy and his older neighbor blossoms in a shared backyard.
Khalil and his “big and busy and noisy” family have just moved into their new home. They live upstairs, and “quiet” Mr. Hagerty lives downstairs. Khalil and Mr. Hagerty share the backyard, where both enjoy their own activities. While Mr. Hagerty gardens, Khalil explores, looking for bugs and rocks. A hot summer day brings them together to look for treasures, fueled by chocolate cake and glasses of milk. What starts as a gentle, tentative relationship between the two (Mr. Hagerty helps Khalil “figure out a word” in a book he’s reading while Khalil “[helps] Mr. Hagerty with his words, too”) grows into something stronger. Springstubb directly introduces both characters, building and expanding their relationship from the start, clearly reinforcing that Mr. Hagerty and Khalil both need each other and enjoy each other’s company. Taherian’s illustrations—collage with oil and colored pencil—strengthen the focus on the relationship between Mr. Hagerty and Khalil, revealing little details: In Khalil’s upstairs apartment two adults hold babies, and below sits Mr. Hagerty in a chair, reading. These careful glimpses give readers space to build their own backstories for Springstubb’s endearing characters. Khalil and his family have olive skin, and Mr. Hagerty presents white.
A sweet and simple story about an intergenerational friendship and the bond between neighbors. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: May 26, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0306-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
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
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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