A simple search-and-find with an easy message for curious, perceptive young readers.
A lone, melancholy protagonist changes its floor-staring routine to engage with new friends and the world around it.
As pedestrians walk past Serch (a fuzzy creature with a ghostly complexion, morose expression, and downward-facing gaze), they all offer the same friendly greeting: “Hello, what are you doing?” Without looking up, Serch responds simply: “Searching.” Ramona the Bear rides past on a bicycle; Rosita (aptly rose-colored) skateboards past, ladder in hand and a pink cape flapping behind; cowboy-boots–wearing Trish and Tresh carry a tree between the two; and Orange and Lemon drive a three-wheeled truck stocked with grapes and watermelons, the word “Frutas” written on its door. Across a double-page spread split into four panels, a pink bird wearing glasses flies over Serch. “Suddenly, an unexpected thing landed on its head,” and only then does Serch look up. The spreads that follow are colorful, full of myriad fanciful creatures, houses, trees, sun, moon, constellations, and more. Therein a search-and-find ensues. This import features digital media, and de Dios does a fair job of creating unpretentious, fun compositions. The concluding spread includes free space on which young readers can doodle, and the detailed endpapers showcase various objects scattered throughout the book in the front and the characters in the back; these interactive elements will help this story find fans.
A simple search-and-find with an easy message for curious, perceptive young readers. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: June 14, 2016
ISBN: 978-84-942929-8-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: NubeOcho
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated.
Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s classic alphabet book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (1989) gets the Halloween treatment.
Chung follows the original formula to the letter. In alphabetical order, each letter climbs to the top of a tree. They are knocked back to the ground in a jumble before climbing up in sequence again. In homage to the spooky holiday theme, they scale a “creaky old tree,” and a ghostly jump scare causes the pileup. The chunky, colorful art is instantly recognizable. The charmingly costumed letters (“H swings a tail. / I wears a patch. J and K don / bows that don’t match”) are set against a dark backdrop, framed by pages with orange or purple borders. The spreads feature spiderwebs and jack-o’-lanterns. The familiar rhyme cadence is marred by the occasional clunky or awkward phrase; in particular, the adapted refrain of “Chicka chicka tricka treat” offers tongue-twisting fun, but it’s repeatedly followed by the disappointing half-rhyme “Everybody sneaka sneak.” Even this odd construction feels shoehorned into place, since “sneaking” makes little sense when every character in the book is climbing together. The final line of the book ends on a more satisfying note, with “Everybody—time to eat!”
A bit predictable but pleasantly illustrated. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781665954785
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Nothing new here but a nonetheless congenial matriculant in publishing’s autumnal rite of back-to-school offerings.
The Crayons head back to class in this latest series entry.
Daywalt’s expository text lays out the basics as various Crayons wave goodbye to the beach, choose a first-day outfit, greet old friends, and make new ones. As in previous outings, the perennially droll illustrations and hand-lettered Crayon-speak drive the humor. The ever wrapperless Peach, opining, “What am I going to wear?” surveys three options: top hat and tails, a chef’s toque and apron, and a Santa suit. New friends Chunky Toddler Crayon (who’s missing a bite-sized bit of their blue point) and Husky Toddler Crayon speculate excitedly on their common last name: “I wonder if we’re related!” White Crayon, all but disappearing against the page’s copious white space, sits cross-legged reading a copy of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man. And Yellow and Orange, notable for their previous existential argument about the color of the sun, find agreement in science class: Jupiter, clearly, is yellow AND orange. Everybody’s excited about art class—“Even if they make a mess. Actually…ESPECIALLY if they make a mess!” Here, a spread of crayoned doodles of butterflies, hearts, and stars is followed by one with fulsome scribbles. Fans of previous outings will spot cameos from Glow in the Dark and yellow-caped Esteban (the Crayon formerly known as Pea Green). (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Nothing new here but a nonetheless congenial matriculant in publishing’s autumnal rite of back-to-school offerings. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: 9780593621110
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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