Little readers will feel the warmth of these loving, endearing friends.
by Carin Bramsen ; illustrated by Carin Bramsen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2018
Duck is ready for adventure, and Cat is willing to join in the fun.
Exuberance and over-the-top enthusiasm are Duck’s forte, and the little bird’s excitement reaches new heights at a sleepover with Cat. Duck is ready for a jamboree, while Cat is much more laid back and mellow. Cat tries to lull Duck into a restful sleep, but the little one is wired. They hear another creature ready to party, calling “Woo-hoooo!” The two friends search the barn, encountering cows, horses, sheep, and pigs in various stages of slumber. It is little Owlette who is the source of the hoots. Owlette has been playing hide-and-seek with them, greatly enjoying the party night. (Children will easily spot the mysterious guest and will enjoy being steps ahead of Cat and Duck.) Now they are all tuckered out and ready to sleep. Cat and Duck are as delightful as ever in this third outing in the series (Hey Duck!, 2013; Just a Duck, 2015). The interspecies friends, gender unspecified, are thoroughly happy in each other’s company. The tale is told in brief, simply rhymed sentences, with a different typeface for each creature’s part in the conversations. Bramsen’s meticulously drawn illustrations are remarkably tactile and textured. The characters’ expressive facial expressions and body language perfectly enhance the action. There is a pleasing variety of single- and double-page spreads, panels, and vignettes, all in bright, colorful array.
Little readers will feel the warmth of these loving, endearing friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-385-38417-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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by Peter H. Reynolds ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2020
An inspirational picture book offers life advice for readers who want to be themselves.
Replete with sparkling, often quirky illustrations of children living their best lives, this book is a gorgeous guidebook for those seeking encouragement while encountering life’s challenges. The children featured—a racially diverse group ranging from infants to preschoolers—cheerfully navigate the various injunctions that flow through the text: “Be curious.…Be adventurous.…Be persistent.…Be kind.” What is remarkable about the book is that even though the instructions and the brief sentences explaining them are at times vague, the illustrations expand on them in ways readers will find endearing and uplifting. Those depicting painful or challenging moments are especially effective. The “Be persistent” double-page spread shows a child in a boat on stormy seas; it’s rich with deep blues as it emphasizes the energy of wind and rain and struggle in the face of challenge. Together with the accompanying repeated phrase “Keep going, never stop. Keep going, never stop. Keep going, never stop,” this spread arrests readers. By contrast, the “Be kind. Be understanding” spread simply presents two children’s faces, one cast in blue and the other in gold, but the empathy that Reynolds conveys is similarly captivating. While there is no plot to pull readers through the pages, the book provides rich fodder for caregivers to use as teachable moments, both informally and in classroom settings.
Both beautiful and inspiring as graduation gift or guide to life. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 3, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-57231-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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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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