by Jennifer Hamburg ; illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 24, 2015
It may be a bit odd, but it is a solid choice for rhyming play.
Will Duck speak a rhyme by contest time?
One day Monkey sees a sign hanging on a nearby vine: “Rhyming contest, enter now! / Register with Lou the cow. / Find a friend and rhyme in twos. / (Winners win a three-day cruise!)” Monkey is sure that he and Duck can easily win since they’re young and hip. He throws out an open-ended string of random words and phrases: “Beat! Sheet! Meet! Greet! / Eat some wheat, / then wash your feet! / Have a seat! / Trick or treat! / Hear a finch go tweet, tweet—” to which Duck responds, “Quack.” No matter what he does, Monkey can’t get anything other than that classic duck sound out of his friend. Then he has a brainstorm that wins them the cruise and that preschoolers will love participating in. After settling in at sea, Monkey gloats, “The two of us, we have a knack. / Don’t you agree?” And Duck’s response? “Let’s get some ice cream.” This sophomore effort from TV writer Hamburg (A Moose That Says Moo, illustrated by Sue Truesdell, 2013) might not startle with originality, but it offers the opportunity for children to play with rhyme and expectations. Fotheringham’s digital illustrations show the main characters as scratchy-lined, bold cartoon animals, their silly antics highlighted on monochrome backgrounds of various colors.
It may be a bit odd, but it is a solid choice for rhyming play. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-545-64514-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
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by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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by Maren Morris & Karina Argow ; illustrated by Kelly Anne Dalton ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 9, 2024
Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade.
An ant explores her world.
Addie Ant’s ready for adventure. Despite some trepidation about leaving the Tomato Bed, where she lives with her aunt, she plucks up her courage and ventures forth across the garden to the far side of the shed. On her journey, she meets her pal Lewis Ladybug, who greets her warmly, points the way, and offers sage advice. When Addie arrives at her destination, she’s welcomed by lovely Beatrix Butterfly and enjoys an “ant-tastic” helping of watermelon. Beatrix also provides Addie with take-home treats and a map for the “Cricket Express,” which will take her straight home. Arriving at the terminal, Addie’s delighted to meet another friend, Cleo Cricket, whose carriage service returns Addie home in “two hops.” After eating a warm tomato soup dinner, Addie falls asleep and dreams of future exploits. Adorable though not terribly original, this story brims with sensuous pleasures, both textual and visual. Kids who declare that they dislike fruits or veggies may find their mouths watering at the mentions and sights of luscious tomatoes, peas, beans, watermelons, berries, and other foodstuffs; insect-averse readers may likewise think differently after encountering these convivial, wide-eyed characters. And those flowers and herbs everywhere! The highlights are the colors that burst from the pages. Addie’s an endearing, empowering character who reassures children they’ll be able to take those first independent steps successfully.
Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade. (author’s note about ants) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781797228914
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
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