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TROSCLAIR AND THE ALLIGATOR

Trosclair lives on Bayou Fontaine in Louisiana and loves nothing better than hunting turtles in the swamp with his dog Ollie in his pirogue. But now he’s not allowed to go to the swamp because the rogue alligator Gargantua has moved in, scaring everybody. Pere tells him, “That alligator eat you and Ollie so fast he won’t even stop to burp.” But does Trosclair listen to his pa? Nope, not when the lure of the swamp’s silence, Bee Island and the cypress trees calls him. Sure enough, that sneaky, slimy gator corners Trosclair and Ollie up a tree, telling Trosclair, “Trow down dat dog and I’ll leave you alone.” Now Trosclair is sly; by using the old “tar baby in the briar patch” ploy, he “trows” down a beehive instead, which sends the toothy, grinning Gargantua buzzin’ away. Comical illustrations crackle with Cajun flavor and paneled scenes ripple the action, bringing it into play. Never mind that an alligator doesn’t know what a beehive is, this swampy romp of an impish boy outwitting the gnarly gator is plain ole Cajun fun. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2006

ISBN: 1-932065-98-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Star Bright

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2006

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DIARY OF A SPIDER

The wriggly narrator of Diary of a Worm (2003) puts in occasional appearances, but it’s his arachnid buddy who takes center stage here, with terse, tongue-in-cheek comments on his likes (his close friend Fly, Charlotte’s Web), his dislikes (vacuums, people with big feet), nervous encounters with a huge Daddy Longlegs, his extended family—which includes a Grandpa more than willing to share hard-won wisdom (The secret to a long, happy life: “Never fall asleep in a shoe.”)—and mishaps both at spider school and on the human playground. Bliss endows his garden-dwellers with faces and the odd hat or other accessory, and creates cozy webs or burrows colorfully decorated with corks, scraps, plastic toys and other human detritus. Spider closes with the notion that we could all get along, “just like me and Fly,” if we but got to know one another. Once again, brilliantly hilarious. (Picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2005

ISBN: 0-06-000153-4

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2005

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HENRY AND MUDGE AND THE STARRY NIGHT

From the Henry and Mudge series

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)

Pub Date: April 1, 1998

ISBN: 0-689-81175-6

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1998

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