Ultimately, however, the disconnect between the cheerful illustrations and the serious subject matter is disconcerting and...
A young boy performs a magic trick (of a sort) in memory of his grandfather.
Henry is a smiling, round-headed, white boy who bounces out of bed one morning and decides to seek some magic. He dons a red plaid jacket, packs up a battered leather suitcase, and heads to his backyard. Along the way he chats with his mom in the kitchen and remembers time spent with his grandfather. Pulling a black top hat from his suitcase, Henry fishes about inside it for a rabbit. Initially disappointed to feel nothing at all, Henry is heartened by remembering his grandfather’s admonition that “magic is…all around.” Readers may not quite follow Henry’s logic when a rabbit still doesn’t appear, but he’s perfectly satisfied, particularly when he discovers that pancakes are on the breakfast menu. Roberts’ sophisticated text tells a bit more than it shows, and some of his descriptions may be a bit obscure (will young readers grasp that “magic-scented water” is most likely aftershave?). Hocking’s illustrations, created with watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, and Photoshop, faithfully and charmingly depict the characters and action. Sepia tones indicate sections when Henry is reminiscing, and visual details fill in some of the family’s history.
Ultimately, however, the disconnect between the cheerful illustrations and the serious subject matter is disconcerting and may make it difficult for Henry to find an appreciative audience. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 6, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-399-25744-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2017
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
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
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Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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