Just “beachy.” (Picture book. 3-6)
A little dog named Sukie overcomes her fear of all things “beachy” in this new picture book.
Sukie, a small black-and-white dog that has the look of a hound, will not budge when Eleanor, a child of color with light brown skin and curly dark hair, encourages her to come down the steps to the beach. Italicized text gets into Sukie’s canine mind to detail her many fears as justification for staying put with the stuffed toy monkey Chunka Munka beside her. Eleanor brings them both down the stairs, but fearful Sukie refuses to play with a beach ball or to romp in the waves, and her list of fears expands, sometimes varying in particulars but always ending with one about the titular lobsters. “But Sukie was just a small dog, / and the beach ball was big and beachy, / and it might hit her in the nose, / and then it would pop, / and it might be too loud, / …and, besides, beach balls attract lobsters.” But then Chunka Munka is pulled out to sea by the tides, and Sukie heroically swims out to rescue her. There’s ample humor in the watercolor, acrylic, and ink illustrations and heaping doses of compassion, too. Sly inclusions of lobsters in the details, in particular, will provoke readers’ laughter as they cheer on Sukie and applaud Eleanor’s pluck and patience.
Just “beachy.” (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 9, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7542-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.
A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.
Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.
Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780593702901
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
