Chad Holloway’s beloved dog, Shep, was shot and killed by Chad’s grandfather. Although it was a mercy killing, Chad cannot forgive his grandfather and has not spoken a word to him since the day of the accident when he arrived home to find that Shep had been run over, shot, and buried, all without his knowledge. The new puppy, Queen, meant to replace Shep, is treated with disdain, if not contempt, by Chad. Into this predicament enters a new neighbor, David, and his lovely daughter who, at 15, is both a year older and a bit taller than Chad, but fascinating to him nonetheless. David is an animal trainer who uses a unique method of positive reinforcement that he calls “shaping.” Enlisting Chad’s help with research on a book he’s writing, David succeeds in shaping Chad, too. Not only does Chad begin to train Queen, but he begins to like her as well. Opening himself up to Queen finally allows Chad to reconnect with his stoic grandfather and with the rest of his eccentric family. Haas (Appaloosa Zebra, 2002, etc.) manages to tie up a lot of strands in the plot, bringing both the complicated family relationships and the romantic element to a satisfying conclusion. She draws a convincing portrait of Chad, a nice kid whose adolescent self-absorption, compounded by his personal loss, temporarily makes him intolerable. (Fiction. 11-14)
Pub Date: May 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-06-000170-4
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2002
Bishop’s spectacular photographs of the tiny red-eyed tree frog defeat an incidental text from Cowley (Singing Down the Rain, 1997, etc.). The frog, only two inches long, is enormous in this title; it appears along with other nocturnal residents of the rain forests of Central America, including the iguana, ant, katydid, caterpillar, and moth. In a final section, Cowley explains how small the frog is and aspects of its life cycle. The main text, however, is an afterthought to dramatic events in the photos, e.g., “But the red-eyed tree frog has been asleep all day. It wakes up hungry. What will it eat? Here is an iguana. Frogs do not eat iguanas.” Accompanying an astonishing photograph of the tree frog leaping away from a boa snake are three lines (“The snake flicks its tongue. It tastes frog in the air. Look out, frog!”) that neither advance nor complement the action. The layout employs pale and deep green pages and typeface, and large jewel-like photographs in which green and red dominate. The combination of such visually sophisticated pages and simplistic captions make this a top-heavy, unsatisfying title. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-87175-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
Baker (Big Fat Hen, 1994, etc.) engages in more number play, posing ducklings in every combination of groups, e.g., “Splashing as they leap and dive/7 ducklings, 2 plus 5.” Using a great array of streaked and dappled papers, Baker creates a series of leafy collage scenes for the noisy, exuberant ducklings to fill, tucking in an occasional ladybug or other small creature for sharp-eyed pre-readers to spot. Children will regretfully wave goodbye as the ducks fly off in neat formation at the end of this brief, painless introduction to several basic math concepts. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-292858-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
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