Blue is therefore surprised (but readers may not be) when he pulls into his garage to be greeted by all his friends with a shiny blue valentine just for him. But as Blue heads home, his deliveries complete, his headlight eyes are sad and his front bumper droops ever so slightly. With each delivery there is an exchange of Beeps from Blue and the appropriate animal sounds from his friends, Blue’s Beeps always set in blue and the animal’s vocalization in a color that matches the card it receives. His bed overflowing with cards, Blue sets out to deliver a yellow card with purple polka dots and a shiny purple heart to Hen, one with a shiny fuchsia heart to Pig, a big, shiny, red heart-shaped card to Horse, and so on.

Little Blue Truck feels, well, blue when he delivers valentine after valentine but receives nary a one.

The friendship lesson here, along with the clever turns of phrase and vivid images, are likely to make this a hit with Fancy Nancy series fans.Ĭheeky animal makeovers take a back seat to an engaging lesson about kindness. Kuriakose’s painted illustrations are filled with brilliant colors that transform the farm’s original frumpy appearance while highlighting that a sheep’s decision to keep her shag makes her equally lovable. Boock, author of the chapter book Kinzie’s Got Talent (2020) and its sequels, masters the art of choosing the perfect words for every page, especially glamorous (and sometimes invented) rhymes: razzled, dazzled, and pizazzleddescribe the farmyard’s renovation. Three apologies later, the two friends are on the same page-and after a few seasons, Shania reveals why she wanted to grow her wool. Instead, she should appreciate her pals for who they are. Soon, Ella Bella recognizes that being stylish isn’t what’s important. But when Ella Bella offers to transform Shania, the sheep turns her down-and becomes the butt of jokes by two of their friends. One day, Ella Bella decides to give the farmyard a makeover, saying, “I’m going to banish the boring right out of this farm!” After bedecking the place with sparkles, bright paints, and lights, she finds that the farmyard animals want makeovers, too. Shania the sheep prefers her shaggy wool just the way it is. An ambitious bovine realizes that fancy isn’t necessarily desirable in this picture book.Įlla Bella Bovine likes high heels and glitzy colors.

Moo la la book