Peterrific

Peter, younger brother to the star of Kann's Pinkalicious books, moves to center stage in this mild spin-off. "I never get to do anything by myself," he says, explaining that he is going to build a block tower alone-one tall enough to reach the stars. Peter supplements wooden blocks with toys and various household items, and the eclectic structure adds a tacit search-and-find component to the book. Pinkalicious supports Peter's efforts, supplying him with mountains of wooden blocks, a telescope, and a box of crackers "just in case" he discovers that the moon is made of cheese. Proudly surveying the world far below from the top of his completed tower, Peter crows about his newfound independence ("I didn't have any chores in my tower. No one could tell me what to do") until darkness falls and he realizes that he's cold, lonely, and without a way to get down. Peter's ambitious undertaking and the underlying messages about self-confidence and determination should appeal to readers, but the unspirited narration and dialogue don't let his story shine. Ages 4-8. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Bestseller Kann expands her storytelling to include Pinkalicious' younger brother, Peter.Peter is playing with blocks in the living room while his sister reads. Deciding he wants "to build a GIANT tower all by [him]self" for once, he enlists Pinkalicious' help in gathering materials from neighbors. Sending up a basket of crackers along with Peter's telescope, Pinkalicious watches as he piles the blocks higher and higher beneath him. Mommy and Daddy are cross, but Peter keeps on building. At last he sits atop a stratosphere-breaching tower, his family far below and the curve of the Earth clear in the lower horizon. (Caregivers of a psychoanalytic bent will take note of the extremely phallic nature of Peter's enterprise.) But it's lonely at the top, and when Peter realizes he doesn't know how to get down, he eats his crackers and sits down for a cry. Wind comes in the morning along with the convenient recollection that he is "an expert knot tier," so he fashions a parachute and floats back home, where his parents welcome him and tell him he should build a safe tower next time. (So much for manly adventure.) Kann's digital collages mirror the text but do not extend it, eschewing the opportunity to play with the boundary between the real and imagined worlds. Peter and Pinkalicious' white family have all the expressiveness of Playmobil figurines. Petepid. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.