A humorous reminder that cuteness is overrated, and some cats are not to be underestimated.
A pet cat named Fiona finally gets the recognition she deserves in Dyball’s picture book.
When Fiona, a fluffy white house cat, wakes Mom for breakfast in the morning, Mom says: “Too early, pretty kitty.” Then, when she helps with a rogue mouse, the neighbor calls her “Lovely.” In the evening, she chases a new toy, entertaining everybody with her acrobatics, and they call her “cute.” At dinner, Fiona sits on a laptop, and Dad asks: “Is it dinnertime, Gorgeous?” Fiona is fed up. “‘GORGEOUS?!’ THAT’S IT. I am OUT of patience now. I’ve done amazing things today, but all anyone can talk about is the way I look!” Finally, her human “sister” Lou (who has brown hair and light skin) says, “You know what I love about Fiona… I love how smart she is!” To Fiona’s relief, Lou goes on to acknowledge all that Fiona does for the family. Diaz’s full-page cartoon illustrations in pastel tones highlight Fiona’s dynamism. The illustrations bring the prose to life; readers see Fiona’s bravery, strength, and athleticism in action, as well as her expressive face. The first-person narration in Fiona’s voice adds weight to her dissatisfaction with being objectified. The story’s energetic pace mirrors Fiona’s busy day as well as her frustration, building to the dinner-table climax before the comforting ending.
A humorous reminder that cuteness is overrated, and some cats are not to be underestimated.Pub Date: May 13, 2025
ISBN: 9780829458770
Page Count: 32
Publisher: 4U2B Books & Media
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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