Andy Elkerton

1 month ago | kirkusreviews.com | James Dean |Andy Elkerton

An empathetic tale that speaks to the complex feelings inherent to undergoing big change. After a Punjabi family moves from their village to a big city, its youngest member worries that the upcoming Vaisakhi celebration won’t be the same. The unnamed child, who narrates, loved the harvest festival; it was an opportunity to dance, feast, exchange stories, and bond with relatives. But the family’s new home feels worlds away from their old one: “No green fields. No pet goats.

Dec 10, 2024 | kirkusreviews.com | Alice Walstead |Andy Elkerton |Marilyn Sadler |Stephanie Laberis

Having attempted to catch the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the Gingerbread Man, a group of kids set their sights on a groundhog. After two score and counting How To Catch books, this latest addition suggests that there’s nothing left to capture. The verses are feeble (“But I’m chilled to my bones deep inside / I feel the wind across my backside”), while the illustrations are mundane. On one page, a child crouches in a drift eating “stick cheese” (apparently because it rhymes with “trees”).

Oct 25, 2024 | kirkusreviews.com | Freddy Wexler |Adam Wallace |Andy Elkerton |Alice Walstead

A clearly written and predictable but upbeat tale about being true to your vision and finding the spirit of Christmas. A small tree dreams big dreams but realizes them in an unexpected way. Everett can’t resist the lure of fame and bright lights, but his current “live show” in his tropical venue doesn’t give him the acclaim he wants. When he’s onstage at the Sandy Straw, he’s largely ignored by the customers, who are busy eating and chatting.

Oct 15, 2024 | kirkusreviews.com | Reese Witherspoon |Xindi Yan |Alice Walstead |Andy Elkerton

Not enough tricks to make this a treat. Another holiday title (How To Catch the Easter Bunny by Adam Wallace, illustrated by Elkerton, 2017) sticks to the popular series’ formula. Rhyming four-line verses describe seven intrepid trick-or-treaters’ efforts to capture the witch haunting their Halloween. Rhyming roadblocks with toolbox is an acceptable stretch, but too often too many words or syllables in the lines throw off the cadence.

Oct 3, 2024 | kirkusreviews.com | Andy Elkerton |James Dean

Only for dedicated fans of the series. When a kid gets the part of the ninja master in the school play, it finally seems to be the right time to tackle the closet monster. “I spot my monster right away. / He’s practicing his ROAR. / He almost scares me half to death, / but I won’t be scared anymore!” The monster is a large, fluffy poison-green beast with blue hands and feet and face and a fluffy blue-and-green–striped tail.