"Keep plugging, follow your muse, find your right fit in the world. Fine sentiments, though they might need a little more nerve than Lily is willing to give. (iPad storybook app. 5-8)"
Arnold's story app of a cow trying to find her calling is minimalist in every way, except some handsome artwork from Manders.
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"Young buckeroos who like their Christmas stories punchy rather than sweet might just take a likin' to ol' Dwight, Darryl and Dub. (Picture book. 4-7)"
Three lonesome cowboys stuck out on the range face a "low-down and miserable" Christmas without the usual treats and trimmings until a surprise visit from "Santy Claus" brightens their holiday.
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"Don't be hornswoggled—give this the heave-ho and seek pirate (and school) booty elsewhere. (Picture book. 4-7)"
Demas' latest throws together adult pirates and regular kids at school, but the combination doesn't really mesh, making it unsuccessful either at familiarizing kids with school or providing swashbuckling entertainment.
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"Fans of Giles Andreae's Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs, illustrated by Russell Ayto (2005), and its piratical ilk will yo-ho-ho. (Picture book. 6-8)"
The bookish young hero of Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies (2005) again saves the flop-eared, fun-loving crew of the pirate ship Salty Carrot.
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Standish Brewster, professor of Pilgrimology, attempts diligently to tell the tale of the establishment of Plimoth Plantation while the two bad Pilgrims of the title, acknowledged troublemakers (they nearly blew up the Mayflower) John and Francis Billington, kibbitz with energy: "When we do it, they call it stealing.
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In a reverse Wizard of Oz effect, a twister takes circus pooch Pierre Le Chien to Kansas in this amusing sequel to Pete and Fremont (2007).
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"Light as a pie and sweet as melon, this slight story should find an enthusiastic audience with parents and grandparents nostalgic for a simpler, sillier time, who will enjoy sharing the fun with young listeners. (Picture book. 3-6)"
This slapstick farce bounces along in rollicking rhyme accompanied by exaggerated cartoon-style illustrations featuring round-cheeked, wide-eyed characters sporting skinny extremities and outsized feet.
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Jack the cat is building the perfect nest, bound to attract the perfect chicken that will lay the perfect egg to make the perfect omelet.
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"EWSLUGp1999, illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith. (source list) (Nonfiction. 8-10)"
Lauber follows up What You Never Knew About Tubs, Toilets, & Showers (2001) with another quick tour through domestic history, taking readers from prehistoric times to campouts and sleepovers, with pauses for glimpses at "Great Moments in Nightclothes" and a recapitulative "Great Moments in Bed History."
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"This will be popular with children who like brash superheroes, as well as with families and friends of those serving in the military. (Picture book. 5+)"
Using the familiar structure of the classic Christmas poem, Holland and Ford offer a witty parody that serves up a unique vision of a Santa who is very different from the traditional St.
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"A worthy message, even though it's delivered with hull-smashing force, and less convincingly than in Judy Sierra's Wild About Books (2004), illustrated by Marc Brown. (Picture books. 6-8)"
In this unsubtle plug for bookworms everywhere, the nerdy offspring of feared pirate Barnacle Black Ear looks up from his compulsive reading to see a bad storm coming, rescues his dad and the rest of the Salty Carrot's crew, then once ashore, quickly fashions a luxurious hut, fancy new outfits, delicious meals and other comforts from found materials—all using knowledge gained from tomes with titles like 101 Things To Do With Palm Fronds and Coconuts.
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"The result is a lively alternative to the similarly themed likes of Stuart Murphy's Double the Ducks (2002), illustrated by Valerie Petrone, or Carol Losi's 512 Ants on Sullivan Street (1997), illustrated by Patrick Merrell. (Picture book. 5-7)"
Hopping onto the math-concepts bandwagon, Dodds ties the idea of "doubling" to a slender storyline.
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"High-stepping fare for fans of Karma Wilson's Hilda Must Be Dancing (p. 13), Robert Kinerk's Clorinda (2003), and the rest. (Picture book. 7-9)"
A new addition to the recent stampede of dancing livestock, twinkle-hooved Lily leaves her slower-mooooving fieldmates to travel the world in search of a Place.
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"Librarians take note: Young customers—those in branches with or without mice—will find much to smile about here, and Manders's goofy, cartoony illustrations are filled with energy and child appeal. (Picture book. 4-8)"
"Great fun for reading and laughing out loud, or even for a choral recitation. (Picture book. 3-5)"
What starts out as a quiet night with only one frog bar-rumming soon turns into a raucous cacophony as two owls, three geese, four fish, and a host of other creatures yowl, scratch, and honk.
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"This follow-up to What You Never Knew About Fingers, Forks, and Chopsticks (1999) invites repeated dips. (Nonfiction. 7-9)"
With Manders's cartoon illustrations adding detail and lighthearted commentary, Lauber revisits sanitary facilities down the ages, as well as common attitudes toward them.
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