A rewarding tale of familial bonding, centered on a common passion.
The tale of a granddaughter and grandfather who adore trains almost as much as they love each other.
Every morning, “like clockwork,” young Atticus awakens at 6 a.m. to greet Pop Pop, who’s home from work. A railroad mechanic, Pop Pop fixes the trains at night “so they can run during the day.” Once he goes to bed, Atticus dons her green overalls and Pop Pop’s orange hat and gets to work on her toy trains—after all, “she’s a train mechanic too.” But today she discovers that her train can’t seem to make its way up the hill she’s built; it always falls off the track. Her grandmother serves her lunch while Atticus troubleshoots, tweaks the rails, and tries again. Only after Pop Pop awakens in the evening to get ready for work, takes a look, and asks Atticus to retrieve his heavy toolbox from the basement does Atticus realize the solution to her locomotive conundrum. Orlando relies on a limited palette of blue, green, orange, and yellow, giving the story a vintage feel, but the close intergenerational relationship on display is timeless. Readers will enjoy spotting the canine companion who frequently pops up. Vanece’s use of onomatopoeia enlivens this quiet yet heartfelt tale of family members who may operate on different schedules but who still carve out time to connect over the thing they love best. Atticus and her grandparents present Black.
A rewarding tale of familial bonding, centered on a common passion. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2026
ISBN: 9781665974066
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
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
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.
After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.
Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026
ISBN: 9780063436121
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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