“ ‘It’s time!’ said the dog / on the old barn floor. / ‘Good news!’ said the cat, / and she ran out the door.” Part of the Growing Tree series, this enjoyable barnyard tale of a dog about to give birth is conveyed with rhythmic quatrains and a predictable pattern. Word travels quickly on the farm as each animal takes its turn informing another (“ ‘It’s time!’ called the cat / to the pig in the pen” and “ ‘It’s time called the pig, / and the hen hollered, ‘Wow!’ ”) Broad, textured brushstrokes give Newton’s (Where Are My Chicks?, 2002, etc.) full-bleed illustrations a folkloric feel; uncluttered, they put the focus on the animals, making it easier for youngsters to connect text and image. Before long, all the animals have assembled; in one spread, Newton pictures them bounding across a lush, green meadow, bodies elongated and legs outstretched. Spread across the length of the page, another scene shows the animals, with wide-eyed expressions, as they hang their heads over the barn door. The tale concludes by cycling back to the start: “ ‘Yes, it’s time!’ said the dog. / ‘Come and look over here.’ ” Unfortunately, the final illustration falters, as the puppies appear too big to be newborn (two of them together nearly match the size of their mother). Still, the structure will engage the youngest audience and “Tips for reading and sharing” suggest interactive teaching strategies for parents. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: May 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-694-01565-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2002
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends.
Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both!
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!” The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) highlight the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2008, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank.
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85213-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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