The plush moose gets past another common domestic challenge in this seventh outing in the industry known as Elliot (Elliot Gets Stuck, not reviewed, etc.). Here, bedtime’s approach triggers anxiety over nighttime noises, but once Elliot realizes that with careful listening he can identify each one—the fridge, the furnace, a loose shutter—and getting to sleep becomes much easier. Until, that is, he hears a mysterious shuffling—which turns out to herald the arrival of Socks, Paisley, and other anxious housemates concerned about the noises they hear. Since Beck portrays everyone here as a realistically depicted plush toy with button eyes, and closes with a final view of peaceful sleepers snuggled together, this makes a cozy alternative to Carman’s What’s That Noise? (p. 802) or the shelf full of other takes on the theme. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2002
ISBN: 1-55337-011-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2002
Rick the bear and his pal, Jack the rabbit, star in their second emergent reader, featuring just one or two short and simple sentences per page. Rick is sick in bed and Jack tries to help by bringing hot tea and an ice pack, by sitting on Rick’s tummy, and finally by curling up next to Rick for a nap. McPhail’s appealing animal characters are full of expression as always, with the pair of devoted friends featured in circular watercolor-and-ink illustrations alternating with pages of text. The actual story is just 16 pages long, with the remaining pages devoted to a follow-up activity (creating a friendship award), a page of discussion questions, author biography, and two pages of information about the Green Light Readers series, including a list of titles. This format seems intended for classroom use and includes guided reading and Reading Recovery levels for teachers. (Easy reader. 5-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-15-205091-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Green Light/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2004
There are 17 kinds of penguins in the Southern Hemisphere, and Gibbons (The Art Box, p. 1034, etc.) introduces them all in this appealing beginning science title. She describes their general life cycle, from the courtship and nest-building of the parents to the hatching of the young, their growth, and adulthood. The handsome illustrations in watercolor and ink are framed with icy blue and white borders. Awkward birds waddle on the glaciers, huddle against subzero temperatures, and glide in frigid waters; downy chicks peer from between their parents’ feet while lumpish fuzzy adolescent penguins wait for their parents to return with food. Gibbons also describes the threat to penguins from pollution, hunting, and tourists. A handsome, sensibly simple title on a popular creature. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1998
ISBN: 0-8234-1388-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1998
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