Next book

THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE

The well-known fable is economized in a Ready-to-Read edition from Miles (see review, above); the events of the race now take place entirely in dialogue, sometimes in a Dick-and-Jane staccato. Quotation marks and speech bubbles have been abandoned in favor of brief blocks of text placed in proximity to each animal speaker. Once the race begins, it's not long before Hare settles into a nap; a night and a day later, bespectacled, sneaker-wearing Tortoise is still plodding along, slow but steady, coaching himself—``One step, another step. One step and another'' until he takes first place. Meisel's whimsical, uncluttered line drawings fit the format well, bright enough to attract attention and to express action. Larger animal characters sport T-shirts with identifying letters—H for Hare, B for Bear- -while a cheering section of smaller creatures displays banners proclaiming ``Yippee'' and ``Hooray,'' highlighting the tale with humor. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: April 1, 1998

ISBN: 0-689-81792-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1998

Categories:
Next book

BUTTERFLY STORY

An exceptional, simple science lesson from Hariton (Egg Story, not reviewed) that goes down as easy as lemonade on a summer afternoon. From tiny eggs to lovely full-grown red admiral, readers track the progress of a butterfly. The text is never sensational, never strays too far from the miraculous journey it limns, all the white spinning an understanding of and appreciation for the mystery behind metamorphosis. Hariton's watercolor accompaniments are fine of line, as lambent as butterfly wings, as engrossing as the story. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1995

ISBN: 0-525-45212-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1995

Categories:
Next book

ELEMENOPEO

Meet Elemenopeo, a chubby black-and-white cat who takes pride in being able to come and go as he pleases, but discovers a hidden talent when his cat door is closed for repairs. Forced to roam indoors, he comes upon a box of paints and a blank easel and—voila!—“Portrait of the Artist as a Young Bird.” Time for a nap, and a soaring dream. Saaf lays out Elemenopeo’s world with thickly brushed gouaches, surrounding his self-satisfied feline with birds to tease and other comforts. Though perhaps not up to Thatcher Hurd’s Art Dog (1996), this cat displays a promising imagination, and young readers, whatever their artistic proclivities, will enjoy making his acquaintance. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998

ISBN: 0-395-90493-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1998

Categories:
Close Quickview