Very clever in concept and execution.
A sloth and an interfering fox vie for control of the book.
Lento, a sloth, strides across the opening page, announcing, “This is MY BOOK,” but before there’s time to tell the story, a “little nap” intervenes. Seizing the moment, Fox boldly swings across the gutter on a rope, challenging the inert Lento for the book’s ownership, yelling, “You snooze, you lose, sloth,” initiating instant rivalry. Ignoring Lento’s claim that Fox and his takeover are not part of the script, Fox insists the book needs a more dynamic lead character. Protesting vehemently, Lento proceeds to compete with Fox to prove who’s the best lead. Lento yodels. Fox blasts out of a canon. Fox soars in a hot air balloon only to be felled by Lento in a plane. Warning Fox in an O.K Corral–style showdown that “this book ain’t big enough for the both of us,” Lento devises a plan to get Fox out of the book—maybe. Presented in bold, individualized type in the dialogue-only text, Lento and Fox’s contest to control the book becomes the story. Their hilarious, attention-getting, action-filled antics play out in simple, eye-catching red, green, yellow, black, and white shapes and backgrounds. Slow Lento’s distressed, anguished, and determined expressions and body language prove the perfect foil for nimble Fox’s mercurial demeanor, outrageous behavior, and arrogant bravado.
Very clever in concept and execution. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68464-065-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way.
All the typical worries and excuses kids have about school are filtered through Willems’ hysterical, bus-loving Pigeon.
Told mostly in speech balloons, the bird’s monologue will have kids (and their caregivers) in stitches at Pigeon’s excuses. From already knowing everything (except whatever question readers choose to provide in response to “Go ahead—ask me a question. / Any question!”) to fearing learning too much (“My head might pop off”), Pigeon’s imagination has run wild. Readers familiar with Pigeon will recognize the muted, matte backgrounds that show off the bird’s shenanigans so well. As in previous outings, Willems varies the size of the pigeon on the page to help communicate emotion, the bird teeny small on the double-page spread that illustrates the confession that “I’m… / scared.” And Pigeon’s eight-box rant about all the perils of school (“The unknown stresses me out, dude”) is marvelously followed by the realization (complete with lightbulb thought bubble) that school is the place for students to practice, with experts, all those skills they don’t yet have. But it is the ending that is so Willems, so Pigeon, and so perfect. Pigeon’s last question is “Well, HOW am I supposed to get there, anyway!?!” Readers will readily guess both the answer and Pigeon’s reaction.
Yes, the Pigeon has to go to school, and so do readers, and this book will surely ease the way. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-04645-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
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