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THE DUCK AND THE KANGAROO

Name: THE DUCK AND THE KANGAROO
Author: Edward Lear
ISBN: 978-0-06-136683-3

by Edward Lear and illustrated by Jane Wattenberg ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2009

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A lesser-known romantic lyric from the author of “The Owl and the Pussycat” is set to suitably wild photo-collage illustrations. Aching to see what lies beyond “this nasty pond,” Duck begs for a ride aboard Kangaroo—answering Kangaroo’s objections to Duck’s cold, wet feet thusly: “…I have thought over that completely, / And I bought four pairs of worsted socks / Which fit my web-feet neatly. / And to keep out the cold I’ve bought a cloak, / And every day a cigar I’ll smoke, / All to follow my own dear true / Love of a kangaroo!” Off they go “with a hop and a bound, / And they hopped the whole world three times round.” Wattenberg endows her animal figures with comically expressive googly eyes and sets the courtship amid riotous multiple layers of exotic flora and fauna Photoshopped from an array of 19th-century Naturalist painters—including Lear himself—along with photos of custom-made duck socks and other silly items. Top marks for visual exuberance; this is the first separate edition of the verses available in this country in decades. (illustrator’s notes) (Picture book. 6-9)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-0-06-136683-3

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2009

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
NONSENSE!
by Edward Lear ; illustrated by Etienne Delessert

- BOOK REVIEW
THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT
by Edward Lear ; illustrated by Charlotte Voake

- BOOK REVIEW
THE COURTSHIP OF THE YONGHY-BONGHY BÒ
by Edward Lear & illustrated by Sam Tannen & developed by Corky Portwine

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LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.

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How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!

John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 21, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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HENRY AND MUDGE AND THE STARRY NIGHT

From the Henry and Mudge series

by Cynthia Rylant & illustrated by Sucie Stevenson ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1998

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Rylant (Henry and Mudge and the Sneaky Crackers, 1998, etc.) slips into a sentimental mode for this latest outing of the boy and his dog, as she sends Mudge and Henry and his parents off on a camping trip. Each character is attended to, each personality sketched in a few brief words: Henry's mother is the camping veteran with outdoor savvy; Henry's father doesn't know a tent stake from a marshmallow fork, but he's got a guitar for campfire entertainment; and the principals are their usual ready-for-fun selves. There are sappy moments, e.g., after an evening of star- gazing, Rylant sends the family off to bed with: ``Everyone slept safe and sound and there were no bears, no scares. Just the clean smell of trees . . . and wonderful green dreams.'' With its nice tempo, the story is as toasty as its campfire and swaddled in Stevenson's trusty artwork. (Fiction. 6-8)