A warm wintertime read with a message for any time of year.
Little Mole has a great big heart.
Little Mole has found an enormous mushroom in the woods and decided to give it to his beloved Mama for Christmas. After he works hard to pick it, he encounters several woodland creatures in need as he carries the large, red-and-white mushroom home to his mother. Bit by bit, he gives away parts of the stem to hungry Little Squirrel and to tired Little Mouse, who needs somewhere soft to rest his head. Then he gives the cap to Little Chipmunk to use as an umbrella. By the time he reaches his mother, Little Mole has only a tiny piece of the mushroom left for her. She is nonetheless pleased and says she will make them soup for their Christmas dinner. Her gratitude only increases when Little Mole sadly tells her what happened to the rest of the big mushroom. A proud Mama says, “your kindness is the biggest, most perfect Christmas gift I have ever received,” which provides Little Mole with affirmation, reassurance, and a holiday lesson about the importance of generosity. The softly textured illustrations reinforce the gentle coziness of the story. The animals are anthropomorphic, though only Little Mole and Mama are fully dressed; most of the animals Little Mole encounters wear nothing, underscoring their relative neediness next to the moles’ evident prosperity. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.3-by-18.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 39.1% of actual size.)
A warm wintertime read with a message for any time of year. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5064-4875-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Beaming Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
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