"The story and illustrations strike just the right notes of lightheartedness, determination, and education—on Earth-friendly materials to boot. (Picture book. 3-7)"
A young girl plants saplings around a house on a windy hill in this picture book.
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"A well-intentioned effort from a debut author, this does not rise above the plethora of existing tales about whales—beached, biblical, or bellicose. (Picture book. 4-6)"
Emma lives near the sea, where she enjoys beachcombing and playing with her dog, Nemo.
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The title of Viorst's latest collection of poetry for children provides an open invitation for readers not only to ponder feelings in general, but to examine their reactions to the assembled poems as well.
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"Award-winning Chilean author and poet Agosín's debut for young people is a lyrically ambitious tale of exile and reunification. (Historical fiction. 10-14)"
With a loving and financially secure family and a close group of friends, 11-year-old Celeste's life in Valparaíso, Chile, is relatively carefree—until the coup that unseats the president and establishes a dictatorship.
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Havoc erupts in high-spirited fashion when the animals' bus breaks down outside the local restaurant. In lively rhyme, raccoons lead the boisterous menagerie into the cozy café. Unfortunately for the chef and waiter, manners are lacking as the animals descend en masse. The cow skateboards down the stairs, the elephant band stomps in with tubas and the ostrich squawks for cherry strudel. The waiter's spill sets off a disastrous chain reaction, causing the server to sneeze peas from his nose. When the critters are removed for their shenanigans, the staff rejoices until a dazed bovine emerges from the mess. The rhythmic phrases combine creative wordplay and natural pacing. Changing fonts emphasize the dramatic images. While never cluttered, White's vibrant art conveys the disheveled environment. Muted, colorful backgrounds support the fluid mixed-media characters. Colorful splotches reinforce the sloppy surroundings; messy tables and flying food add amusing details. There are not too many cooks in this kitchen, as high-interest humor creates a rollicking read-aloud. (Picture book. 4-8) Read full book review >
When Emily, a serious girl, meets Duck, who is definitely not serious and is riding a unicycle and wearing socks, she points out, "Ducks don't wear socks." "Cold feet," yells Duck. On each ensuing day, Emily meets Duck wearing an assortment of unusual items: a cowboy hat as he rides a hobbyhorse, boots (for plowing), a tie and, finally, underwear. As Emily admonishes Duck on his silly apparel, her seriousness fades to giggles, ending in the last spread with Emily sporting a duck costume and the two ducks laughing together. The quirky illustrations play off the absurdity, with Duck's retorts in heavy type. White affects an unusual artistic device with Duck: His dot eye and eyebrow from the usually unseen side of his profile are drawn, seemingly floating in space. This goofy concept will entertain kids as it pokes fun at being too serious. (Picture book. 4-7)Read full book review >
House moving takes on new meaning in this offbeat tale. When the Petersons leave for a vacation, their house decides to go on holiday too. Each part of the house has his/her own notion of where to go, but they finally agree on seeing the sea. The long trip is arduous, but the dawn of sunlight and the lure of the water provide a thrilling adventure, as the house sets sail and then returns home with a satisfying memory, startling the family with its waterlogged condition. Oil-and-colored pencil illustrations create hazy, molded background scenes that contrast sharply with the bright red house with black stick feet and google-eyed faces on the various parts. The pun-loaded dialogue is really adult humor: The chimney complains, "I feel like I've got the flue," while the bedroom windows creak, "Oh! The pane!" and the roof grumbles, "Man, am I sore. I feel like I've got the shingles." Nevertheless, kids will enjoy the silliness and animated house sections. (Picture book. 4-8)Read full book review >
Olson-Brown borrows the tune of "Hush Little Baby" and adapts it for the benefit of the automotive-obsessed youngster. Engines rumble to life with, "Hush little digger, don't say a word, / Papa's gonna scoop you a pile of dirt. / And if that dirt starts to overflow, / Papa's gonna find you a red backhoe." There are occasions throughout where the tempo sputters a bit with jittery rhymes or an overabundance of syllables. Still, the ride is made worthy by White's pictures with cartoon vibrancy and nimble, witty tidbits. While father, with his slick, black pompadour, and son frolic in and out of various heavy machinery, the illustrations are popping with details to attract the fancy of youngsters, like ogle-eyed worms, bountiful balls, a dump truck brimming with chickens and various funky creatures. Not as cleverly crafted as Daniel Kirk's Hush Little Alien (1999), but for those children with a vehicle mania, this illustrated lullaby will drive away the blues. (Picture book. 2-5)Read full book review >
A wayward proboscis takes flight and leads a young boy on a merry chase in this utterly absurd, but amusing nonsense tale. When David's Dad sneezes furiously, his nose blows right off his face "in a hurricane breeze" and runs away. A disconcerted Dad tells David to catch the nose before it blows again. Ignoring David's cries to "stop," the naughty nose keeps running, leading David into a clothesline, through prickly plants, over a truck of chickens, onto the roof of a building and finally into an airplane. Every time the nose sneezes it blows out something amazing—an aardvark, an antelope, an ambulance, an alligator, an ape, an airplane and an athlete—that joins the bizarre chase. The silly verse is accentuated by equally comic oil illustrations that capture every action-packed antic of the acrobatic nose and its ensuing menagerie. This surreal rescue story should tickle tiny noses with lots of giggles and guffaws. (Picture book. 3-8)Read full book review >
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