A young fellow going down the road and running into a succession of sillies is a common folklore theme, but this isn't just another variation. In a few words Lobel's grasshopper hero is given not only common sense but an engaging, open attitude as well, and the creatures he encounters are not interchangeable comic numbskulls but representatives of different, familiar foibles. Among them are a group of beetles who form a club to celebrate morning, but won't tolerate a member who also enjoys afternoon and evening; a broom-wielding housefly who started by sweeping a speck on the rug and is determined not to stop "until the whole world is clean clean clean"; and a mosquito who is such a stickler for rules that he insists on Grasshopper crossing the lake in his boat, though his prospective passenger can easily jump across and doesn't fit in the boat. Later three butterflies, creatures of habit, wish to include visits with Grasshopper in their ludicrously rigid daily routine, but he answers: "I will be moving on. I will be doing new things." And when his pace is scorned by two dragonflies so intent on zipping speedily onward that they haven't time to view the scenery: "He was happy to be walking slowly down the road." You can trust Lobel to provide beginning readers with just a little more thought food than meets the eye—while just as gently pleasing the eye with his soft-toned, harmonious illustrations.
Pub Date: Oct. 4, 1978
ISBN: 006444094X
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Harper & Row
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1978
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sure to be catnip for all cat fans, whether reluctant or enthusiastic.
Is “Not My Cat” the right name for this feline?
Staceypants, a Black artist and gardener who wears colorful trousers, lives in a quiet neighborhood and does not like messes. When a fluffy gray cat appears, Staceypants sets out some tuna. But Staceypants is far too busy for a cat—plus, they scratch the furniture…and use a litter box, YUCK!—so the feline is dubbed “Not My Cat.” The cat might have other ideas, however. She continues to visit, and the two of them do yoga, eat breakfast, take selfies, sunbathe, and nap. Where does Not My Cat go when she’s not with Staceypants? “Maybe, like me, she spends a lot of time alone. Maybe, like me, she is cautious about making friends and keeping them too.” One day, Not My Cat doesn’t show up. One day turns into many. After weeks of worry, Not My Cat returns, and a joyful Staceypants realizes that maybe the cat needs a name change. Inspired by the author’s own experiences (photos of Patton and her cat are appended), this is a sly, sweet tale of friendship. Staceypants’ musings on Not My Cat’s whereabouts hint at yearnings—and fears—of making new connections. The digitally rendered illustrations pop with texture and color; they’re a fine match for the text and make it clear that a real friendship is blossoming.
Sure to be catnip for all cat fans, whether reluctant or enthusiastic. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: April 23, 2024
ISBN: 9781665927963
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
Rich, naturalistic details will delight lovers of marine life.
A Monterey Bay sea otter comes of age.
Odder’s mom told her to stay away from sharks, humans, and anything else she didn’t understand, but after saving her friend Kairi from a shark attack, she encounters all three. Injured herself during the rescue, Odder ends up recuperating at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, or Highwater as the otters call it, where she once lived as a young orphaned pup. Last time, the humans helped her reintegrate into the wild, but because of her injuries this time the outcome might be different. Soon Kairi is there too, stricken with “the shaking sickness” and having lost her newborn pup. Now Kairi is fostering a new pup, and soon one is introduced to an initially reluctant Odder in hopes that she will help raise it so it can return to the wild. The free verse effortlessly weaves in scientific information, giving Odder a voice without overly anthropomorphizing any of the animals. The natural appeal of sea otters will draw readers in, but the book doesn’t shy away from real-world threats such as predators, disease, and pollution. Loosely based on the stories of real sea otters rehabilitated at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, this novel will give readers lots to talk about, but uneven pacing and a rushed ending may leave some unsatisfied. Charming black-and-white spot art captures the world and life of the sea.
Rich, naturalistic details will delight lovers of marine life. (glossary, author’s note, bibliography, resources) (Verse novel. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-14742-4
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2022
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