A clever take on the trials and tribulations of replacing a busted ride.
A detour on a road trip becomes an exercise in moderating vehicular expectations.
Accompanied by best friend Bird, Pickle, an aptly named anthropomorphic green dog, is going to Clover Farm for some strawberries and cream. The car sputters, shakes, and spews exhaust before stopping, so they push it to Coco’s Garage to try out replacement cars. What follows is a selection process that would make Goldilocks proud: Each of Pickle’s choices is too fast, too large, or too expensive. All three picks get noticed by pedestrians, whether due to Pickle’s speeding, the difficulty of maneuvering a bulky vehicle, or the flashy design of the last vehicle. Each experience leaves Pickle aware of what really matters in a car: “What I want is a simple, little, safe car.” Coco’s able to provide just that through a tune-up of Pickle’s original car. Readers may evaluate the vehicles that they see in the real world in a new light after witnessing Pickle’s decision-making process. A warning from a stern police bird demonstrates one consequence of ignoring the speed limit. Pickle is a conscientious protagonist who apologizes for mistakes and shares the ever-desirable strawberries and cream. The setting is filled with appealingly round shapes and subdued colors, save for a pointy roof or the newly washed finish on one of the cars. The tale offers an excellent lesson in self-awareness, pragmatism, and manners.
A clever take on the trials and tribulations of replacing a busted ride. (Graphic fiction. 4-8)Pub Date: June 25, 2024
ISBN: 9780823456208
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: April 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2024
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
A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off.
This rocket hopes to take its readers on a birthday blast—but there may or may not be enough fuel.
Once a year, a one-seat rocket shoots out from Earth. Why? To reveal a special congratulatory banner for a once-a-year event. The second-person narration puts readers in the pilot’s seat and, through a (mostly) ballad-stanza rhyme scheme (abcb), sends them on a journey toward the sun, past meteors, and into the Kuiper belt. The final pages include additional information on how birthdays are measured against the Earth’s rotations around the sun. Collingridge aims for the stars with this title, and he mostly succeeds. The rhyme scheme flows smoothly, which will make listeners happy, but the illustrations (possibly a combination of paint with digital enhancements) may leave the viewers feeling a little cold. The pilot is seen only with a 1960s-style fishbowl helmet that completely obscures the face, gender, and race by reflecting the interior of the rocket ship. This may allow readers/listeners to picture themselves in the role, but it also may divest them of any emotional connection to the story. The last pages—the backside of a triple-gatefold spread—label the planets and include Pluto. While Pluto is correctly labeled as a dwarf planet, it’s an unusual choice to include it but not the other dwarfs: Ceres, Eris, etc. The illustration also neglects to include the asteroid belt or any of the solar system’s moons.
A fair choice, but it may need some support to really blast off. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: July 31, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-338-18949-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: David Fickling/Phoenix/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
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