Don’t skip this lively, feel-good story.
Admiral William H. McRaven’s adaption of his bestselling adult title The Hero Code (2021) with his daughter, Kelly Marie McRaven.
Wearing a military uniform and having “completed his training,” Skipper’s assigned a mission by the president (a bald eagle clad in suit and tie): “to find the greatest heroes of all.” Heading back to base, Skipper encounters his cat friend bravely defending a frog against a bullying shark. Here’s Skipper’s first hero! As the day proceeds, he finds more heroes, including the Giving Gorilla, a firefighter; the Caring Cow, a doctor; and the Persevering Penguin, who serves food at a homeless shelter. All offer solid words of wisdom, but Skipper needs one more hero: the little frog who was bullied by the shark. The Forgiving Frog accepts the shark’s apology, and Skipper the Seal declares, “There’s no greater hero than those who forgive.” The team members work together to rescue passengers from a sinking ship. Skipper introduces them to the president, who awards each a medal. Skipper leaves readers with a few final words: “Be a hero in all that you do!” Written in serviceable verse, this upbeat, slightly didactic story featuring a personable protagonist should encourage children to be heroic any way they can; the numerous examples—from the Funny Fox, who helps out by making his friends laugh, to the Humble Horse, a hockey player who knows the value of cooperating—prove that heroism isn’t about size or strength. The rousing, cartoony digital illustrations are appealing.
Don’t skip this lively, feel-good story. (author’s note from Kelly Marie McRaven) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 11, 2025
ISBN: 9780316576406
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 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
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
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