Noodles, shakes, whatever you call them: Worries aren’t fun, but they don’t have to interfere with life either.
A young ostrich copes with anxiety.
Opal Feather’s long neck feels “as wobbly as a spaghetti noodle” whenever she becomes anxious. Her family refers to that feeling as “The Noodles” and tries to help her by offering her empowering compliments, cuddles, and jokes, but these don’t calm Opal. Today is her family’s annual soiree, one of Opal’s favorite days, and she’s tasked with picking up the special tart. She performs the self-calming ritual she relies on before doing something new and scary—e.g., going to the bakery. On the way, she misconstrues the actions of various pals she encounters. Opal repeatedly frets they’re all mad at her (though they each quickly explain that they aren’t). By the time Opal reaches the bakery, her anxiety has exhausted her. However, everyone is proud Opal accomplished her goal. Even better, Opal’s proud of herself, recognizing she faced challenges. This is a comforting story about a problem many kids deal with; it reassures them that worries aren’t unusual and don’t have to feel overwhelming. The authors leave readers with the realistic yet optimistic view that anxiety doesn’t disappear altogether but can be confronted through one’s own positive outlook and support from family and friends. Colorful, cartoony digital illustrations are lively and endearing; note the enjoyable seek-and-find opportunity at the end. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Noodles, shakes, whatever you call them: Worries aren’t fun, but they don’t have to interfere with life either. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593615669
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Rocky Pond Books/Penguin
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023
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
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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