As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
40 pp.
| Little Simon
| May, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-1-5344-0680-3$14.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-5344-0681-0
(4)
PS
A rainy day has kitten Kat feeling low, so she writes the "Amazing Song to Make Things Better." When the rain stops, Kat practices her "amazing" song around the neighborhood. Digital illustrations with pastel colors, curves, and thick lines create a friendly animal baby–populated world. The simple plot lacks much urgency, but animal sounds and Kat's song (notation and lyrics included) make it suitable for storytime.
24 pp.
| Viking
| September, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-670-01239-8$15.99
(4)
PS
In his fourth book, Bear wishes on a star, then sits down to wait. His friends stop by to offer wish-fulfilling advice ("Close your eyes"; "Hold your breath"), and by the time night falls, Bear's gotten his wish. That wish is unsurprising, but the illustrations, which feature a pastel-colored sunset that deepens with each page turn, make the book stand out.
(4)
PS
Although Purple Little Bird has a perfectly purple house and garden, he feels something is "not quite right." After traveling to Brown Bear's cave, Gray Goat's steep cliff, and other locales searching for the "perfect place," he realizes his own home is "much too purple." This rather pale story is buoyed by Foley's strong, color-saturated illustrations.
(4)
K-3
In this Willoughby & the Lion follow-up, Willoughby finds the missing moon in his closet, on which sits a giant snail; together they traverse the moon and the boy faces his fear of the dark. There's a haphazard quality to the story--perhaps Foley's real interest is his intriguing art, which has the look of black-and-white designs on tinfoil.
32 pp.
| Viking
| December, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-670-01238-1$12.99
(4)
PS
Mouse, after receiving a note from Bear, searches for her friend to tell him something important. She does not see him when she calls on their friends (appearing beneath sturdy flaps), but rejoices at finding him waiting for her at home. The uncluttered illustrations have more appeal than the insubstantial story.
(4)
K-3
This story tells of a boy and a wish-granting lion. At first the boy asks for stuff--"the fastest shoes in the world," his own roller coaster--but he realizes his last wish should be reserved for something the lion, not he, truly needs. The lesson-learned text is fairly standard; what makes the book notable are spare black-and-white line drawings with dramatic gold.
32 pp.
| Viking
| February, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-670-06258-4$15.99
(4)
PS
Mouse tells Bear that finding a four-leaf clover brings luck. Bear combs a little green hill for one, facing pessimism and competition from other friends. In the end, he realizes he was lucky all along. Though the specifics are a letdown, the theme will resonate with readers. Spare illustrations offer touches of emotion to the simply told tale.
32 pp.
| Viking
| March, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-0-670-06245-4$15.99
(4)
PS
Worried Bear checks on his cocooned friend Caterpillar on a windy day, during a rainstorm, etc. The insect reassures Bear, but when he comes across Caterpillar's empty cocoon, he's distraught. The caterpillar-to-moth ending won't surprise most readers, but the story's message is comforting, and Foley's spare use of line and color atop monochromatic backgrounds yields attention-grabbing illustrations.
32 pp.
| Viking
| March, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-670-06165-5$15.99
(4)
PS
Little Bear finds a tiny box and decides it's a perfect present for Mouse. But all the other animals dismiss the small gift ("I've seen those before," says Owl), leaving Bear to doubt the specialness of his find. The story doesn't stand up to repeated readings, but the loose-handed drawings splashed with muted colors are worth a second look.