by Angela McAllister & illustrated by Maggie Kneen ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2003
A bedtime story with a twist. Duffy plays with his older sisters (bunnies in picture book clothing) under his favorite tree, but after supper, it’s bedtime, and he can’t settle down. He rearranges his toys, he gets a drink of water, and finally he asks for another story, proclaiming that he doesn’t like the dark. After about the third “night-night, little one” Mommy reminds Duffy that we can see the stars only at night, and at night the moths dance in the starlight and Mrs. Bat teaches her young to fly. Mrs. Badger, of course, wakes her children, takes them to play under what Duffy considers to be his oak tree, and then finally puts them to bed come morning with a “day-day, little one.” Duffy is charmed enough by this to go to sleep at last. Watercolor and gouache on scanner board make for soft colors on a textured, almost pointillist surface. The bunnies and badgers and other animals are clothed and upright, but not entirely anthropomorphized. Duffy’s family cottage is as sweet and green and thatched as could be, with a rose bower over the gate. His room is a wonder, too, with its bedside bookshelf, toy train, and a picture window that looks out onto the roses. Mommy bunny wears a comfy rosebud patterned shift; the oak tree is massive and friendly by day or night. A low-key contribution to the endless need for get-that-kid-to-sleep stories. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 11, 2003
ISBN: 0-385-32732-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2003
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2019
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 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 22, 2019
Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both!
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!” The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) highlight the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2008, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank.
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85213-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION
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