Mixing the melodies of hip-hop with the antics of preadolescence makes this colorful picture book a charming read for young...
In this character debut from U.K. rapper Doc Brown (writing as Smith), readers meet the scrappy, edgy Bear, who moves about the day with slick rhymes and even slicker pranks.
The book could be described as a meeting between the venerable goofiness of Yogi Bear and the encircling kitsch of the early 2000s Hip Hop Harry. Readers first see a bare, pink-skinned Bear who dons a purple suit and assumes a B-Boy stance. The narration reads like an early, toddler-friendly, playful version of hip-hop: “In my tummy? / Mostly honey. // Here’s a thingy / I find funny….” In the accompanying illustrations, Bear is pictured eating honeycomb in a beekeeper’s veil, muzzle and paws a sticky mess, then pointing up at leafy branches before playing a knock-knock joke on a red squirrel. (Well, Bear finds it funny, anyway.) Later on, Bear uses a wand to catch salmon and does a disappearing act, boasting, “I do magic. / Most bears won’t. // Now you see me… // Now you don’t!” A later prank finds Bear stealing doughnuts from a police officer (an ode to Yogi, maybe), mischievously setting up the red squirrel for the fall. All the while, graffiti artist Akyüz depicts the squirrel and an oft-ducking-from-trouble hare as sidekicks, friendly, thick outlines and saturated colors keeping time with the beat.
Mixing the melodies of hip-hop with the antics of preadolescence makes this colorful picture book a charming read for young rap fans and beginning readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7743-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
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
BOOK REVIEW
A welcome can-do story about environmental activism.
When Emmy and Callum hear a bird hit their window, they are worried that it might be hurt.
The bird flies away unscathed, but it gets Emmy and Callum thinking about what other parts of their home might be dangerous for birds—and what they can do to make it less so. With the help of their mother, they begin by putting decals on their windows, filling the bird feeder, and letting flowers go to seed. As the year progresses, they learn more about what birds need at different times of the year. In the fall, when birds migrate, Emmy and Callum turn off the disorienting porch lights and fill their jack-o’-lantern with healthy birdseed. In the winter, when snow falls, they build a shelter of sticks. Soon Emmy and Callum decide they want to do more, eventually involving the whole neighborhood in transforming the area into a certified wildlife habitat. As narrated by Callum, this book is an engaging guide to environmental activism. Emmy and Callum’s gradual shift from individual actions to community organizing feels organic and doable: Readers can accomplish almost all of the activities they model. (More information is provided in the backmatter, along with resources.) At times the prose gets clunky, but generally the text is clear and fun to read aloud. The gentle, pastel-hued illustrations feature a brown-skinned family and neatly complement the earnest and gentle text.
A welcome can-do story about environmental activism. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-8075-2753-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: Jan. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
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