Bribery be darned, this irresistible book begs to be shared.
Wild animals take the place of Millie during and after dinnertime, until her caregiver offers an incentive to become human again.
A speech bubble coming from a character offstage says, “Millie, stop playing with your green beans.” But on the table is a robin, with a worm in its mouth, who replies, “I’m not Millie.” The back and forth continues, with various table and post-dinner directives on the verso matched by denials from a beaver, a hippo, an alligator, a cat, a kangaroo, and more (notably, never a monkey). The animal variations are cleverly matched with the child’s naughty behavior: It’s a tortoise when Millie’s accused of “dawdling”; a koala climbing the lamp says, “Sounds like you’re really frustrated with this Millie person.” The back-and-forth text using both sides of the spread creates an enjoyable rhythm, with anticipation of the next scene building to a silly conclusion in which Millie eagerly reverts back to human form—a brown-skinned girl—in exchange for a treat that’s just for her. The ink-and-watercolor illustrations make the animals seem quite at home inside while the oversized font for the adult’s speech implies the frustration we don’t need to see, keeping readers firmly on Millie’s side.
Bribery be darned, this irresistible book begs to be shared. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Nov. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-101-93793-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available.
A ghost learns to appreciate his differences.
The little ghost protagonist of this title is unusual. He’s a quilt, not a lightweight sheet like his parents and friends. He dislikes being different despite his mom’s reassurance that his ancestors also had unconventional appearances. Halloween makes the little ghost happy, though. He decides to watch trick-or-treaters by draping over a porch chair—but lands on a porch rail instead. A mom accompanying her daughter picks him up, wraps him around her chilly daughter, and brings him home with them! The family likes his looks and comforting warmth, and the little ghost immediately feels better about himself. As soon as he’s able to, he flies out through the chimney and muses happily that this adventure happened only due to his being a quilt. This odd but gently told story conveys the importance of self-respect and acceptance of one’s uniqueness. The delivery of this positive message has something of a heavy-handed feel and is rushed besides. It also isn’t entirely logical: The protagonist could have been a different type of covering; a blanket, for instance, might have enjoyed an identical experience. The soft, pleasing illustrations’ palette of tans, grays, white, black, some touches of color, and, occasionally, white text against black backgrounds suggest isolation, such as the ghost feels about himself. Most humans, including the trick-or-treating mom and daughter, have beige skin. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 66.2% of actual size.)
Halloween is used merely as a backdrop; better holiday titles for young readers are available. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-7352-6447-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
May this endearing pair have more sneakily educational outings.
The ground is all white and cold, and Squirrel has no idea why.
Awakening to find the grass is gone, Squirrel panics and calls for Bird. Ever patient Bird explains that sometimes it snows in winter, and the grass just gets covered. Bird suggests they play in the snow, but Squirrel says it’s too cold…until Bird introduces Squirrel to snowballs. Suddenly, Squirrel loves snow. Bird also explains that snowflakes are all different shapes. Squirrel’s skeptical. “They’re all small, white blobs.” Then Squirrel yells, “BIRD! There is SMOKE coming out of my mouth! Is it because I ate a snowflake?” Bird notes that sometimes it gets so cold that you can see your breath. A frozen puddle sends Squirrel sliding into a giant snow squirrel. Squirrel’s pretty sure that snow squirrel stole some hazelnuts. Bird explains that’s impossible: “It isn’t real—it’s just a SNOW squirrel.” When the snow melts overnight, Squirrel is convinced the snow squirrel took it all—but at least the hazelnuts are still there (the builder of the snow squirrel had used them for the eyes and mouth). Hemming’s tale, which relies on speech bubbles and text in several different fonts for emphasis (and overreaction), is as funny as the first two in the series, while Slater’s digitally created, colorful illustrations add some slapstick giggles. The book finishes with a double-page spread of snow facts that address Squirrel’s concerns.
May this endearing pair have more sneakily educational outings. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781464226786
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2024
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