A little too cute for its own good.
Eduardo is not just any sheep—he’s going to be an Elite Sheep, and he can’t wait to graduate from the Fairy-Tale Bureau of Investigations.
When he reports to the home office, he’s excited to learn he’s been assigned his own case—and humble he’s not. The other agents’ offers of assistance are spurned with righteous indignation. “Would someone who needs a partner already get put on a case? Before they even graduate?” Three “perpetrators,” i.e. “bad guys,” are trying to kidnap Mary for a zillion-dollar ransom, and it’s Eduardo’s job to keep her safe—only it’s not as easy as it sounds. Bashed, crashed, and smashed, Eduardo finally yelps for help and realizes that being a team player is what being Elite is all about. Pearson’s tough-guy asides come fast and furious and will be responsible for many an eye-roll whiplash. “This here’s what you call a dossier (pronounced DAH-see-ay for all you civilians).” Morris’ too-cool-for-school secret-agent squirrels, complete with sunglasses, clipboards, and earpieces, document Eduardo’s every blunder from the endpapers to the team sports competitions. Pun-filled scenarios that alternate between the Men in Black–like headquarters and nursery-rhyme citizenry reminiscent of Shrek’s cast provide many visual distractions when the story slows or gets too corny. In true comic-strip fashion, the dialogue is confined to speech bubbles, and cracks about Mary’s little lamb abound. Eduardo’s comeuppance is as subtle as a sledgehammer, as is the author’s call for teamwork.
A little too cute for its own good. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5039-0290-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
