Sea Monster keeps delivering important messages in fun ways. What issue will he tackle next? (Picture book. 4-7)
Sea Monster’s second outing finds him with his first-day resourcefulness intact (Sea Monster’s First Day, 2011).
When Sea Monster learns of a new student in his class, he goes out of his way to be kind to him. But instead of cowering and being shy, as Sea Monster did on his first day, the new fish is something of a braggart, always comparing (negatively) his old school with this new one. He also turns out to be quite bossy, selfish and unkind. On his second day, he starts the Fresh Fish Club (he’s president, of course) for all the cool fish, passing out sunglasses for the members. Sea Monster is quite pleased with his new shades…until he sees that not everyone is wearing them. “Suddenly, my cool new shades felt heavy on my snout.” He ponders a way to include everyone, and the Friend Fish club is started. The members wear buttons and do good deeds for one another. Proving his worth as a diplomat, Sea Monster kindly deflects the new fish’s declaration that he’ll be president, asking the newcomer to instead use his drumming talent for the good of all. The tale ends with a rhyming song about the new club and their friendly mission. Rash’s artwork is a hoot, filled with humorous and hidden details (don’t miss the book titles in the library).
Sea Monster keeps delivering important messages in fun ways. What issue will he tackle next? (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4521-1253-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
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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