Not exactly stupid—but not brilliant either.
A big-brother bunny comes to love his new “stupid baby” brother in this French import by way of New Zealand.
After his mother shushes his noisy play, Simon, an anthropomorphic white rabbit, is displeased when his parents explain that his new baby brother isn’t going back to the hospital after being home for “THREE WHOLE DAYS.” “Go back where you came from, stupid baby,” he says while peering at a sleeping baby bunny in a bassinette. The artwork is minimal, with a cartoon style that will engage readers, though some may be immediately turned off by the text’s casual use of the word stupid. Then the question of how human children will grasp the limits of anthropomorphism arises when a scared Simon can’t sleep at night. He goes to his parents’ room, fearful of imagined wolves outside, and is summarily sent back to bed. As he walks down the hallway, he hears the baby making noises, scoops him up, and brings him back to his own bed, saying “I’ll look after you, my tiny, tiny, stupid baby.” A closing picture shows the brothers sleeping soundly in Simon’s bed as the sun rises outside. Such a resolution would obviously be impractical and unsafe in a human household, which may undermine the book’s relevance to readers who might otherwise identify with Simon.
Not exactly stupid—but not brilliant either. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-87757-931-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Gecko Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories.
Kids know vegetables can be scary, but rarely are edible roots out to get someone. In this whimsical mock-horror tale, carrots nearly frighten the whiskers off Jasper Rabbit, an interloper at Crackenhopper Field.
Jasper loves carrots, especially those “free for the taking.” He pulls some in the morning, yanks out a few in the afternoon, and comes again at night to rip out more. Reynolds builds delicious suspense with succinct language that allows understatements to be fully exploited in Brown’s hilarious illustrations. The cartoon pictures, executed in pencil and then digitally colored, are in various shades of gray and serve as a perfectly gloomy backdrop for the vegetables’ eerie orange on each page. “Jasper couldn’t get enough carrots … / … until they started following him.” The plot intensifies as Jasper not only begins to hear the veggies nearby, but also begins to see them everywhere. Initially, young readers will wonder if this is all a product of Jasper’s imagination. Was it a few snarling carrots or just some bathing items peeking out from behind the shower curtain? The ending truly satisfies both readers and the book’s characters alike. And a lesson on greed goes down like honey instead of a forkful of spinach.
Serve this superbly designed title to all who relish slightly scary stories. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0297-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
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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