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MUDDY AS A DUCK PUDDLE

Name: MUDDY AS A DUCK PUDDLE
Author: Laurie Lawlor
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2229-6

AND OTHER AMERICAN SIMILES

by Laurie Lawlor & illustrated by Ethan Long ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2010

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From A to Z, Lawlor has collected American folk sayings to tickle the funnybone. The similes, as coupled with Long’s comic cartoon-like illustrations, will linger in readers’ imaginations. The picture that accompanies “Jittery as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs” traps a nervous cat anxiously clutching his tail in the midst of obliviously rocking adults. “Happy as a clam at high water” depicts a smug clam looking up at a fox and a bird, both unable to catch him up in their claws. The alphabetical list seems a rather weak glue to hold the sayings together, but the significant author’s note provides ample descriptions of these “proverbial comparisons,” most of which hail from the Ozarks. The origin of each simile is explored, along with extra historical information where needed. Budding writers may well pick up a few new sayings from the body of the text, but for many readers, the backmatter will be the most interesting feature of the book. Whether this detracts from or enhances the reading experience depends on whether readers are as curious as a cat or ornery as a skunk. (bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Pub Date: March 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-0-8234-2229-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Holiday House

Review Posted Online: June 20, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2010

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
WHAT MUSIC!
by Laurie Lawlor ; illustrated by Becca Stadtlander

- BOOK REVIEW
RESTORING PRAIRIE, WOODS, AND POND
by Laurie Lawlor

- BOOK REVIEW
FEARLESS WORLD TRAVELER
by Laurie Lawlor ; illustrated by Becca Stadtlander

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WILD, WILD WOLVES

by Joyce Milton & illustrated by Larry Schwinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1992

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At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)

Pub Date: April 1, 1992

ISBN: 0-679-91052-2

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
DINOSAUR DAYS
by Joyce Milton ; illustrated by Franco Tempesta

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RIVER STORY

by Meredith Hooper & illustrated by Bee Willey ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2000

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Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)