Although the illustrations may not appeal to everyone, the lovable Bah Koo will likely win over young readers and listeners.
With a short trunk for a nose, the ears of a cow, and the mane, body, and tail of a lion, Bah Koo is an unusual animal looking for his place in the world in this sweet children’s picture book.
Bah Koo not only looks different from other animals, but also has a “strange and mysterious feeling there was something he was meant to do…but just what it was, he did not know.” Ostracized and sad, he leaves his home. He’s “tired and hungry and cold and wet and all the things that make any of us sad when we are alone and far from home” when he stumbles on two children playing in their treehouse. They bring him into their home and take care of him. He charms everyone, including two friends that no one else can see: the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman. His new acquaintances make him once again feel that he has a gift to share. He finds out what that gift is late one night when one of the children’s moans awakens him. Bah Koo runs to the boy’s room and confronts a nightmare; little Bah Koo instantly grows larger and becomes filled with new power and strength. He now knows his mission, has become aware of the Great Creator, and is ready to find his own home. The second chapter of the story, in which Bah Koo visits a Wise Old Owl in search of more answers, is less interesting than the first. Overall, however, Rhodes’ debut is an engaging retelling of the Asian myth of Baku, the Dream Eater. It tells the story in clear language at a child-friendly pace that makes for a good read-aloud. Readers who know Bah Koo’s Asian origins, however, may wonder about the Anglo-looking humans in the color illustrations. That said, the images’ purple mushrooms, surprised squirrels, and decorative hearts give the book a sketchlike, 1970s-era quality.
Although the illustrations may not appeal to everyone, the lovable Bah Koo will likely win over young readers and listeners.Pub Date: April 16, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4809-0168-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Co.
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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