by April Pulley Sayre & illustrated by JoEllen McAllister Stammen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2001
Natural history for the younger set manages to be playful without being precious. Sayre tells the story of the first few hours of a life of a crocodile’s brood in short, sharp sentences that recall her earlier work (Dig, Wait, Listen, p. 505, etc.) and that capture well the African wildlife tumbling around a mother crocodile as she waits for her eggs to hatch. As agreeable for reading aloud as onomatopoeia is (and Sayre enlivens the well-used device with a nuanced sensitivity to rhythm and sound, adding layers of alliteration and assonance to spare prose), the real interest lies in the contrast between the deadly mother and her care for her young—a contrast heightened by the clearly observed pastel illustrations. McAllister Stammen makes the most of her medium, employing traces of purple, blue, and even pink to give the mottled hide of the crocodile a realistic edge, while razor-sharp foregrounds and blurry backgrounds give the vignettes the air of National Geographic photographs. In a striking spread, Crocodile conveys her babies to the Nile in her jaws, the squirming little ones peeping out in a way both startling and fascinating. An author’s note adds few facts that a bright reader would not be able to infer from the story, but it does provide specific scientific information. By refusing to sentimentalize the mother crocodile’s role, the author and illustrator encourage readers to see beyond stereotypes and look at the natural world with a more balanced eye. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-688-16504-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2001
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by Maren Morris & Karina Argow ; illustrated by Kelly Anne Dalton ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 9, 2024
Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade.
An ant explores her world.
Addie Ant’s ready for adventure. Despite some trepidation about leaving the Tomato Bed, where she lives with her aunt, she plucks up her courage and ventures forth across the garden to the far side of the shed. On her journey, she meets her pal Lewis Ladybug, who greets her warmly, points the way, and offers sage advice. When Addie arrives at her destination, she’s welcomed by lovely Beatrix Butterfly and enjoys an “ant-tastic” helping of watermelon. Beatrix also provides Addie with take-home treats and a map for the “Cricket Express,” which will take her straight home. Arriving at the terminal, Addie’s delighted to meet another friend, Cleo Cricket, whose carriage service returns Addie home in “two hops.” After eating a warm tomato soup dinner, Addie falls asleep and dreams of future exploits. Adorable though not terribly original, this story brims with sensuous pleasures, both textual and visual. Kids who declare that they dislike fruits or veggies may find their mouths watering at the mentions and sights of luscious tomatoes, peas, beans, watermelons, berries, and other foodstuffs; insect-averse readers may likewise think differently after encountering these convivial, wide-eyed characters. And those flowers and herbs everywhere! The highlights are the colors that burst from the pages. Addie’s an endearing, empowering character who reassures children they’ll be able to take those first independent steps successfully.
Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade. (author’s note about ants) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781797228914
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
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by Craig Smith ; illustrated by Katz Cowley ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2010
Hee haw.
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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
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