Quite a charming character, that Cat.
The egocentric feline protagonist of Here Comes the Easter Cat (2014) returns for another opportunity to receive a present, just as the ending of the previous story predicted.
The format is the same, with gentle questions from an unseen authority figure (quite parental in tone) asking what Cat can possibly be thinking with each new wild idea. The silent but hardly uncommunicative Cat answers with signs, gestures or actions, or sometimes just with one of his many endearing facial expressions. He is dressed like Santa so he can give himself a present, since he doesn’t think he’s been good enough to warrant a gift on his own merits. (That pie chart is pretty damning.) Following suggestions from the narrator, Cat pursues some activities to improve his niceness quotient (caroling, giving fish to children, decorating the community tree), with, er, limited success. Grudgingly, he then shares some food with a kitten. He is rewarded with a present from the real Santa—a green Santa’s Helper suit—as well as a ride in Santa’s sleigh. The illustrations in inks and colored pencils are pleasantly whimsical, and the generous white space, old-fashioned typeface and uncluttered format work just as well in the sequel as in the first volume. Cat seems to have all sorts of schemes up his furry sleeves; perhaps he’ll be angling for birthday presents or a visit from the tooth fairy next?
Quite a charming character, that Cat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8037-4100-3
Page Count: 88
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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