by Andrea Wayne von Königslöw ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1999
paper 1-55037-608-X Large print, telescoped illustrations, and extremely rapid outcomes from decisions propel readers through this whimsical story. Best friends Bing, a pig who loves to cook, and Chutney, a dance-loving elephant have lived together for three years, and “every day was a very good day.” One Sunday, Chutney announces her decision to become a famous dancer, packs her bags, and leaves. Bing hides the tear that wells up at Chutney’s announcement so as not to darken the moment, then opens a cooking school the next day. Opening day produces a crowd of students. Chutney meets with similar success, and by Thursday is dancing in the “Great Hall” before a throng of adoring fans, a day on which Bing has become a famous baker. By Friday Bing is munching on leftovers and Chutney is having the hotel-room blues, so on Saturday she comes backs for a reunion, where Bing cooks and Chutney provides the entertainment. The point is not the pace, but the results: friends support friends in this blithe fantasy with its strong message. Readers impatient for the next adventure of Holly Hobbie’s Toot and Puddle will be glad to have this while they wait. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-55037-609-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1999
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by Tony Johnston ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2000
From Johnston (An Old Shell, 1999, etc.), poetic phrases that follow a ghostly barn owl through days and nights, suns and moons. Barn owls have been nesting and roosting, hunting and hatching in the barn and its surroundings for as long as the barn has housed spiders, as long as the wheat fields have housed mice, “a hundred years at least.” The repetition of alliterative words and the hushed hues of the watercolors evoke the soundless, timeless realm of the night owl through a series of spectral scenes. Short, staccato strings of verbs describe the age-old actions and cycles of barn owls, who forever “grow up/and sleep/and wake/and blink/and hunt for mice.” Honey-colored, diffused light glows in contrast to the star-filled night scenes of barn owls blinking awake. A glimpse into the hidden campestral world of the elusive barn owl. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-88106-981-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
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by Margery Facklam ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 1999
The gastronomical oddity of eating winged and many-legged creatures is fleetingly examined in a superficial text that looks at animals and people who eat insects. Bugs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are gobbled up by a shrew, an aardvark, a bear, a gecko, and others. The rhyme scheme limits the information presented; specificity about the types of insects eaten is sacrificed for the sake of making the rhyme flow, e.g., a mouse, a trout, a praying mantis, a nuthatch, and a bat are repeatedly said to eat “bugs” or “insects” in general, rather than naming the mayflies, moths, or grubs they enjoy. An author’s note explains her choice of the word bugs for all crawly things; an addendum takes care of other particulars lacking in the text. Long’s exacting pen-and-ink style lends a naturalistic perfection to this visual playground of the insect world, enhancing this glimpse of vital link in the food chain. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-88106-271-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
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