A spellbinding, festive tale of community.
Autumnal scenes depict wildlife and humans busy with seasonal preparations and activities.
The story opens in a leafy forest, populated with bears, a fox, squirrels, a snail, and other creatures depicted in warm hues of rust and gold with black details. Finkeldey employs a limited palette, rendered in gouache and ink on white pages. Litwin’s soothingly spare rhyming text pairs beautifully with the images, evoking the hustle and bustle of collecting seeds, acorns, and nesting materials. A subtle segue—and the addition of the color blue—shows birds lifting off power lines into formation, joined by a small blue airplane. While some “gather up and fly away,” others, like the skunks in the next scene, “gather close. Prepare to stay.” A clever transition occurs on a double spread: The verso presents four cameos of animal groupings that “gather, huddle, herd, [and] heat,” while the recto portrays extended interracial family members who “gather, cuddle, hug, [and] greet.” Several full-bleed double spreads follow; particularly moving is the loving gathering in the firepit scene, the smoky glow contrasting with the dark, star-studded sky. Ultimately the view pans out to snuggling raccoons and the smiling family gazing at one another through the window. Text and images meld seamlessly for a wholly original Thanksgiving tale rooted in an appreciation for the natural world.
A spellbinding, festive tale of community. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781536233384
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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