A fun, simple, yet sophisticated collection about a friendship between two very different characters.
Irrepressible Chick and his laid-back pal Fox star in three illustrated stories for new readers.
Through the use of panels that vary from four to a page to double-page spreads, this lovely early reader has the feel of a graphic novel, allowing its clever stories to move easily across the pages. In the first, title story, Chick invites a bevy of animal friends into Fox’s bathroom to swim and play. Then Chick questions Fox’s habit of eating vegetables rather than the more common diet of small rodents, frogs, and (gulp) birds in the second, “Good Soup.” Finally, in “Sit Still,” Fox tolerantly paints his way through an afternoon of what is supposed to be antsy Chick’s sitting for a portrait, only to emerge in the end with a landscape. Some of the understated humor may be missed by the youngest readers, but the simple, repeated phrasing and dialogue featured in word balloons will keep them engaged. Interspersed throughout are wordless panels in which the vividly colored, soft-edged pen, ink, and watercolor artwork tells the story. This will have wide natural appeal for readers who know some words by sight and are looking to tackle a few that are a bit more complex (“supposed”; “landscape”; “portrait”) and for established fans of Ruzzier’s picture books.
A fun, simple, yet sophisticated collection about a friendship between two very different characters. (Early reader. 4-7)Pub Date: April 3, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5288-2
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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
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Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees.
After Duncan finds his crayons gone—yet again—letters arrive, detailing their adventures in friendship.
Eleven crayons send missives from their chosen spots throughout Duncan’s home (and one from his classroom). Red enjoys the thrill of extinguishing “pretend fires” with Duncan’s toy firetruck. White, so often dismissed as invisible, finds a new calling subbing in for the missing queen on the black-and-white chessboard. “Now everyone ALWAYS SEES ME!…(Well, half the time!)” Pink’s living the dream as a pastry chef helming the Breezy Bake Oven, “baking everything from little cupcakes…to…OTHER little cupcakes!” Teal, who’s hitched a ride to school in Duncan’s backpack, meets the crayons in the boy’s desk and writes, “Guess what? I HAVE A TWIN! How come you never told me?” Duncan wants to see his crayons and “meet their new friends.” A culminating dinner party assembles the crayons and their many guests: a table tennis ball, dog biscuits, a well-loved teddy bear, and more. The premise—personified crayons, away and back again—is well-trammeled territory by now, after over a dozen books and spinoffs, and Jeffers once more delivers his signature cartooning and hand-lettering. Though the pages lack the laugh-out-loud sight gags and side-splittingly funny asides of previous outings, readers—especially fans of the crayons’ previous outings—will enjoy checking in on their pals.
Quirky, familiar fun for series devotees. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9780593622360
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: March 8, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2025
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