An outstanding new chapter book with the cozy feel of a classic.
Hedgehog embarks on an unexpected adventure to rescue her friend Mutty.
Hedgehog and Mutty, two dear friends, “[spend] all their days together. Playing. Imagining. Dreaming.” That is, until the Terrible Storm whisks Mutty (who appears to be a stuffed dog) away from the tiny, midriver island they both live on. Aware that crying won’t solve anything, Hedgehog decides to set out on a rescue mission to bring her friend back. As Hedgehog searches for her lost friend, she encounters various characters such as Mole, who greets everyone she meets in a different language (French, German, Spanish, Arabic, and Korean), and Owl, who sprinkles lofty vocabulary (and definitions) into conversations. The remainder of the cast includes Hen and her Chicks, dapper Beaver, and a brown-skinned human girl named Annika Mae Flores. All together, they distinguish themselves by supporting Hedgehog in her friend’s rescue. Each personality bursts forth in Annika’s narration as the group assembles, acknowledges that their differences become their strengths, and forms a firm and committed community unit. Castillo’s endearing illustrations remind readers that friendships can be found in the most unexpected of places while their full-color softness balances Hedgehog’s action-packed adventures. Readers will appreciate the map shown in the beginning endpapers as they go back and trace Hedgehog’s journey. Challenging readers without overwhelming them, picture-book creator Castillo has achieved a gentle and triumphant pivot into chapter books.
An outstanding new chapter book with the cozy feel of a classic. (Fantasy. 5-9)Pub Date: May 5, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6671-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2020
PROFILES
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with...
Reynolds and Brown have crafted a Halloween tale that balances a really spooky premise with the hilarity that accompanies any mention of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit needs new underwear. Plain White satisfies him until he spies them: “Creepy underwear! So creepy! So comfy! They were glorious.” The underwear of his dreams is a pair of radioactive-green briefs with a Frankenstein face on the front, the green color standing out all the more due to Brown’s choice to do the entire book in grayscale save for the underwear’s glowing green…and glow they do, as Jasper soon discovers. Despite his “I’m a big rabbit” assertion, that glow creeps him out, so he stuffs them in the hamper and dons Plain White. In the morning, though, he’s wearing green! He goes to increasing lengths to get rid of the glowing menace, but they don’t stay gone. It’s only when Jasper finally admits to himself that maybe he’s not such a big rabbit after all that he thinks of a clever solution to his fear of the dark. Brown’s illustrations keep the backgrounds and details simple so readers focus on Jasper’s every emotion, writ large on his expressive face. And careful observers will note that the underwear’s expression also changes, adding a bit more creep to the tale.
Perfect for those looking for a scary Halloween tale that won’t leave them with more fears than they started with. Pair with Dr. Seuss’ tale of animate, empty pants. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0298-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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