by Bhagavan "Doc" Antle & Thea Feldman & photographed by Barry Bland ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2012
The orangutan’s face has a natural charm, and he seems to be smiling as he enjoys his time in the water. Suryia’s...
Suryia the orangutan learns to swim in this fascinating story that features appealing photographs of the amazing ape swimming with his trainer and an array of other animals that live in the same nature preserve.
The authors and photographer first introduced the captivating orangutan with their story of his friendship with a huge hound dog, Suryia and Roscoe (2011). The same format is used again in this sequel; full-page photographs alternate with smaller pictures laid out like a photo album. The cheerful text describes Suryia’s interest in water play and subsequent swimming lessons in a logical, clearly expressed manner, with intriguing details that convey Suryia’s behavior and personality. The photographs are amazing: Suryia paddling with Roscoe the dog, hugging his trainer and gently holding a tiger at the edge of the swimming pool. Stories of animal friendships have become popular in the last few years, and this engaging book will have wide appeal to a wide variety of readers, from preschoolers through elementary-age children.
The orangutan’s face has a natural charm, and he seems to be smiling as he enjoys his time in the water. Suryia’s interactions with his pool pals will bring smiles to the faces of animal lovers young and old. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 3-9)Pub Date: May 8, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8050-9317-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 20, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
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by Bhagavan "Doc" Antle ; Thea Feldman ; photographed by Barry Bland
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by Bhagavan "Doc" Antle & Thea Feldman & photographed by Barry Bland
by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
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by Hoda Kotb ; illustrated by Chloe Dominique ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2024
Pleasant enough but not particularly original.
Uplifting messages of positivity from the Today show anchor.
Hope springs eternal, so the saying goes. Kotb agrees, here delivering to children the cheery news that hope lives inside all of them and that whatever they might wish for can be theirs. All they need is a sunny outlook, and the possibilities for happy outcomes are virtually endless. Children’s dreams can be in-the-moment ones—like purple ice cream with whipped cream and a cherry—or more far-ranging ones, such as growing tall enough to reach that high shelf easily or for hair that’s long enough to braid. It doesn’t matter, the author reassures young readers. Your aspirations will be realized, so don’t give up on them—just keep believing in them and, most of all, in yourself. Throughout, Kotb calls hope a rainbow, a feeling, a gift, and a wish. Hope is “new friends you’ll find— / friends who are loving and funny and kind.” Hope is “practicing your heart out, letter by letter.” The book’s overarching theme is upbeat, but its bouncy rhyming text is clumsy. The child-appealing illustrations are colorful and lively, though they have a generic look. The cast of wide-eyed characters is racially diverse; some have visible disabilities.
Pleasant enough but not particularly original. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780593624128
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flamingo Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2024
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by Hoda Kotb ; illustrated by Suzie Mason
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