A sweet and funny Valentine’s Day read.
On Valentine’s Day, Lucy gets ready to make valentines for the friends she loves.
Her unicorn, Sparkle, joins her, but Lucy tells him not to worry—after all, as she says, “No one expects a valentine from a unicorn.” Even though Sparkle knows Lucy is in charge of valentines, he wants to tell Lucy all the reasons that he loves her. For example, he loves her “curly black hair” (she also has brown skin), her “big laugh,” and the fact that she always makes Sparkle feel loved. Sparkle decides to make Lucy a valentine only to find that there’s a reason that no one expects valentines from unicorns. For one thing, he doesn’t know how to write—or how to use scissors. He laboriously cuts out a heart with his horn and creates a message with hoofmarks, tasks that turn out to be harder than he thought. Eventually, Sparkle creates a valentine that he’s happy with—that is, until he accompanies Lucy to a Valentine’s Day party. When he sees what the other children have made, his card for Lucy seems clumsy and inadequate. Sparkle feels terrible until he realizes that what really matters is how Lucy feels—not only about the valentine Sparkle made, but about Sparkle himself. The book’s text is charming and understatedly witty, and the illustrations are both humorous and sweet. The story’s message of self-acceptance is perfectly suited for young readers whose creative visions don’t yet match their abilities.
A sweet and funny Valentine’s Day read. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Nov. 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-374-31422-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property.
Since a reformed Grinch is hardly any fun, this follow-up Grinches him up once more.
Those seeking more of the same, prepare to receive precisely that. Christmas is coming (again!), and the Grinch can hardly wait. He’s been patient all year, and now he can finally show the Whos down in Who-ville how much he’s changed. When the Grinch learns of a tree-decorating contest, he figures that if he wins, it’ll prove he truly has the Christmas spirit. He throws himself into the task, but when it comes time to judge the trees, the Grinch is horrified to discover that he’s received only the second-place trophy. Can Cindy-Lou Who find the words to save the day? Replicating many of the original beats and wordplay of the original, this tale feels like less a sequel and more like a vaguely rewritten variation. Meanwhile, Ruiz’s art seeks to bridge the gap between the animated Chuck Jones version of the Grinch and the one depicted in the original book. This thankless task results in a strange uncanny valley between Seuss and Jones but does allow the artist a chance to colorize everything and lend some racial diversity to the Who population (Cindy-Lou is light-skinned). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how many mediocre sequels you can squeeze out of Seussian property. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780593563168
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated.
Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s classic alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets the Halloween treatment.
Chung follows the original formula to the letter. In alphabetical order, each letter climbs to the top of a tree. They are knocked back to the ground in a jumble before climbing up in sequence again. In homage to the spooky holiday theme, they scale a “creaky old tree,” and a ghostly jump scare causes the pileup. The chunky, colorful art is instantly recognizable. The charmingly costumed letters (“H swings a tail. / I wears a patch. J and K don / bows that don’t match”) are set against a dark backdrop, framed by pages with orange or purple borders. The spreads feature spiderwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. The familiar rhyme cadence is marred by the occasional clunky or awkward phrase; in particular, the adapted refrain of “Chicka chicka tricka treat” offers tongue-twisting fun, but it’s repeatedly followed by the disappointing half-rhyme “Everybody sneaka sneak.” Even this odd construction feels shoehorned into place, since “sneaking” makes little sense when every character in the book is climbing together. The final line of the book ends on a more satisfying note, with “Everybody—time to eat!”
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781665954785
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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