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STORMY NIGHT

Youngsters will empathize with Bear and derive comfort from the loving togetherness his family displays while keeping the...

Bear and Floppy of Found fame (2014) are back to soothe little fears.

A storm is noisily disrupting Bear’s attempt to sleep, and Floppy isn’t doing too well, either. Thunder rumbles, and Bear dives under the bed with Floppy. Mama comes into his bedroom under the pretense of needing comfort herself. Papa, looking uncertain, also needs Bear to help him through the storm. Bear is happy to oblige both of them. After a particularly loud boom, Mama and Papa return the favor and kiss Bear’s nose and tickle his ear. The storm eventually quiets, and all end up cuddled together in Bear’s bed. The refrain, “Bear felt better,” is repeated throughout the story as Mama and Papa use different strategies to help Bear overcome his anxiety. Readers will appreciate the graduating reassurances that range from self-soothing to group hugs. The ditty used by both Bear and his parents is hampered by faulty meter, a minor weak point: “I’ll hold you tight. I’ll keep you warm. / My love will keep you safe from the storm.” Yoon’s familiar digitized art evokes the texture of pastel crayons outlined in heavy black. Bear’s emotions are displayed to good effect with simple tweaks of eye and mouth positions.

Youngsters will empathize with Bear and derive comfort from the loving togetherness his family displays while keeping the storm at bay. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-8027-3780-9

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2014

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THE PIGEON HAS TO GO TO SCHOOL!

From the Pigeon series

Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.

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All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.

Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.

Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)

Pub Date: July 2, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Hyperion

Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019

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THE WILD ROBOT ON THE ISLAND

A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.

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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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