Gentle and profoundly wise advice plays out in a dialogue between two loving siblings.
Reflective conversations between two kids offer life lessons for philosophical readers.
In three vignettes, older sibling Memen, clad in a jumper dress, offers tender and occasionally humorous advice to the smaller Mori, who sports a distinctive red cap. When Mori laments after breaking Memen’s handmade plate, Memen is quick to console the youngster: “Well, that’s okay. I can just make another one….It’s really fine! Because in the end, no matter what, every single thing breaks or goes away.” Memen models astute acceptance. “There are things we can control, and things we can’t. And we want to learn to tell the difference between them.” The second story is told from the perspective of a sangfroid, self-aware, and dirty snowman with wanderlust, but the third rings most true to the slightly morbid reference of the book’s name, memento mori, providing a humbling reflection on our smallness and what people live for. Thickly outlined spot illustrations are expressive and poignant, with simply filled in solid hues set against spacious blank expanses. Yoshitake’s minimal text, translated from Japanese and both heavier and heftier than many of the author/illustrator’s recent works, takes the occasional tone of a graduation speech while imparting some truly sage, existential wisdom. This one is likely to spark meaningful conversations among young readers and with adults. Characters have black hair and skin the white of the page.
Gentle and profoundly wise advice plays out in a dialogue between two loving siblings. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9798855417401
Page Count: 136
Publisher: JY
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
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
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators.
Existing artwork from an artistic giant inspires a fairy-tale reimagination by a master of the horror genre.
In King’s interpretation of a classic Brothers Grimm story, which accompanies set and costume designs that the late Sendak created for a 1997 production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera, siblings Hansel and Gretel survive abandonment in the woods and an evil witch’s plot to gobble them up before finding their “happily ever after” alongside their father. Prose with the reassuring cadence of an old-timey tale, paired with Sendak’s instantly recognizable artwork, will lull readers before capitalizing on these creators’ knack for injecting darkness into seemingly safe spaces. Gaping faces loom in crevices of rocks and trees, and a gloomy palette of muted greens and ocher amplify the story’s foreboding tone, while King never sugarcoats the peach-skinned children’s peril. Branches with “clutching fingers” hide “the awful enchanted house” of a “child-stealing witch,” all portrayed in an eclectic mix of spot and full-bleed images. Featuring insults that might strike some as harsh (“idiot,” “fool”), the lengthy, dense text may try young readers’ patience, and the often overwhelmingly ominous mood feels more pitched to adults—particularly those familiar with King and Sendak—but an introduction acknowledges grandparents as a likely audience, and nostalgia may prompt leniency over an occasional disconnect between words and art.
Menacing and most likely to appeal to established fans of its co-creators. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780062644695
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
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