A charming talking-animal tale, with gentle messages about family and the environment.
Two Chihuahuas engage the animals of Bald Head Island, N.C., in a plan to stop illegal turtle-egg traffickers in this playful debut children’s adventure book aimed at dog lovers and budding environmental advocates.
Pampered, curious pups Bennett and Lola join their owner Cora as she retreats to a beach house to write a book about the animals and plants on Bald Head Island. Soon a charismatic mockingbird Moc urges the dogs to see the wonders of the neighborhood: a mean dog named Jug (short for Jugular), intriguing but dangerous alligators, and a big loggerhead turtle mama who lays her eggs on the beach. When the eggs are stolen, the pups take on alternate identities—Chief Inspector Brown and Sergeant Starfoot—and collect a team of animals to follow the egg poachers and alert the local Bald Head Island Conservancy people. Later, the pups must find their way back to Cora after being washed into the ocean and stranded on a beach far from home. The story has no human children as characters—a bit odd for a book targeted to kids—but Bennett’s protective big-sibling relationship with the excitable, recklessly brave Lola shows how sibling rivalry can be superseded by love when it matters most. The story, set in a real location and supported by accurate Conservancy information, can act as an environmental teaching resource, but it also delivers a typical kids’ mystery. The book’s strategically placed advanced vocabulary, understandable in context, makes it a great choice for beginning readers. Its adorable but not cutesy tone and the wittily distinctive voices of its animal characters make it a good candidate for dog-loving parents and children to read together. Energetic illustrations support the story well, though they are forced into quarter-pages, and might have been better served by full-page display.
A charming talking-animal tale, with gentle messages about family and the environment.Pub Date: Dec. 9, 2012
ISBN: 978-1477406175
Page Count: 128
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Feb. 19, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A nice but not requisite purchase.
A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.
Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.
A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7915-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit.
Readers try to dislodge a monster from the pages of this emotive and interactive read-aloud.
“OH NO!” the story starts. “There’s a monster in your book!” The blue, round-headed monster with pink horns and a pink-tipped tail can be seen cheerfully munching on the opening page. “Let’s try to get him out,” declares the narrator. Readers are encouraged to shake, tilt, and spin the book around, while the monster careens around an empty background looking scared and lost. Viewers are exhorted to tickle the monster’s feet, blow on the page, and make a really loud noise. Finally, shockingly, it works: “Now he’s in your room!” But clearly a monster in your book is safer than a monster in your room, so he’s coaxed back into the illustrations and lulled to sleep, curled up under one page and cuddling a bit of another like a child with their blankie. The monster’s entirely cute appearance and clear emotional reactions to his treatment add to the interactive aspect, and some young readers might even resist the instructions to avoid hurting their new pal. Children will be brought along on the monster’s journey, going from excited, noisy, and wiggly to calm and steady (one can hope).
Playful, engaging, and full of opportunities for empathy—a raucous storytime hit. (Picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6456-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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