MY LITTLE HALF-MOON

Name: MY LITTLE HALF-MOON
Author: Douglas Todd Jennerich
ISBN: 978-0-399-16901-4

by Douglas Todd Jennerich ; illustrated by Kate Berube ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 16, 2017

For caregivers of kids with brief, harmless fixations the story will ring true—but for little readers, some real nighttime...

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A child’s fascination (and frustration) with a seemingly lonely, incomplete half-moon leads to a lunar surprise and friendship.

The unnamed child narrator of this series of rhyming couplets has decided that the half-moon can’t be happy. The bear-suit–clad white child first offers gifts to impress it, then yells up in anger at its indifference, trying to explain to it the wonder of being the moon. Some of it is lovely (the moon is “the reason that dogs and wolves howl”), other bits not so much, the result of trying to shoehorn words such as “balk” and “fondue” into the rhyme scheme. In parts, the story gets into the narrator’s mind, but in sum, it seems like a story that doesn’t know if it wants to be a wacky escalation of the things the child will do to get the half-moon’s attention or a simple meditation on its stunning beauty when it appears in full. The illustrations, with deep blues, greens, and blacks against a simple, chalky yellow moon, split the difference, acting as a moody but appropriately wistful accompaniment to the sometimes-draggy text. They also introduce a subtextual story in the form of a bunny-suit–clad child of color who watches the narrator’s antics and eventually offers friendship. Like the text, it is sweet but also feels forced.

For caregivers of kids with brief, harmless fixations the story will ring true—but for little readers, some real nighttime moon spotting may be even better. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: May 16, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-399-16901-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

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TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)