This Easter message is that friends are golden.
Perennial favorite Bad Kitty returns in search of a prize.
Bad Kitty and her friends are going on an egg hunt, but besides the usual dyed eggs, a golden egg holding “the best thing ever” is waiting to be found. Bad Kitty imagines that it will offer a host of tangible goodies, picturing catnip, fish, treats, a ball of yarn, etc. Bad Kitty’s strategy is not clever: In quest of the gold, she passes up all the colored eggs, which are of course gathered by her friends Stinky Kitty, Chatty Kitty, Big Kitty, and Puppy. Soon those eggs are all gone, and the “golden” one she finally pounces on turns out to be the curved back of Puppy—in whose mouth she now sees the golden goal. Surprisingly, her friends are not eating candy from their eggs. When opened, each contains a friend-related challenge, like “write a story about your friend,” or “give a present to your friend.” It’s Puppy who gets that one and who, in response, gives Bad Kitty the golden egg. It turns out to have a special message inside from all her friends. Large, serif type will help developing readers. The illustrations are in the established goofy Bad Kitty cartoon style, with exaggerated facial expressions and frenetic, easy-to-read body language supporting the simple text. Easter means colored eggs only here: no mention of religion.
This Easter message is that friends are golden. (suggested friend challenges for Easter eggs) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Dec. 19, 2023
ISBN: 9781250884770
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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
Not enough tricks to make this a treat.
Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula.
Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence. Children familiar with earlier titles will recognize the traps set by the costume-clad kids—a pulley and box snare, a “Tunnel of Tricks.” Eventually they accept her invitation to “floss, bump, and boogie,” concluding “the dance party had hit the finale at last, / each dancing monster started to cheer! / There’s no doubt about it, we have to admit: / This witch threw the party of the year!” The kids are diverse, and their costumes are fanciful rather than scary—a unicorn, a dragon, a scarecrow, a red-haired child in a lab coat and bow tie, a wizard, and two space creatures. The monsters, goblins, ghosts, and jack-o'-lanterns, backgrounded by a turquoise and purple night sky, are sufficiently eerie. Still, there isn’t enough originality here to entice any but the most ardent fans of Halloween or the series. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not enough tricks to make this a treat. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-72821-035-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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