Good to get for animal lovers.
A humorous take on animal conservation that provides information.
A child with a passion for sharks shouts to the whole neighborhood, “HEY, EVERYBODY, I’M GETTING A SHARK!” The emphatic text is set in a vibrant speech bubble befitting the cartoon art. The kid tells Ralphie the dog about overhearing Mom tell Dad about the shark, and the anthropomorphized pet rattles off a series of facts about sharks to convince the kid that getting a shark is a bad idea. The narrator meets Ralphie’s objections with a string of amusingly illustrated fanciful ideas (imagining opening a dogfish grooming salon for that species of shark, for example). It’s a big disappointment when Mom and Dad present “an adoption certificate for a real shark that is swimming in the ocean right now.” Their explanation that this real shark is “happy and healthy [a]nd you’re helping it stay that way” is accompanied by a book about sharks. The kid begins spouting off shark facts, which irks Ralphie to humorous effect—hadn’t Ralphie been saying exactly that? The narrator is ultimately pleased with the gift, calling out to the neighborhood, “HEY, EVERYBODY, I’M SAVING A SHARK!” While a closing page depicts Ralphie saying “there are special organizations that let you help animals in need,” frustratingly, there is no brief list nor any guidance to readers who would like to find them. The cheery cartoon art depicts the narrator and family with pale skin and brown hair; their neighborhood is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 18.1% of actual size.)
Good to get for animal lovers. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-11112-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: March 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2021
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
As the sleepy keeper bids him good night, Gorilla snitches his keys; then he creeps after him, letting the other animals out. In a lengthening parade that includes a mouse first seen taking one of Gorilla's bananas, they pad along behind the keeper like faithful dogs, enter his house, and curl up to snooze in his bedroom; Gorilla snuggles into bed next to the keeper's wife. The man is too drowsy to notice, but she does; taking Gorilla by the hand, she leads the whole parade back to the zoo with an air of resignation that suggests this has happened before. Gorilla certainly knows the ropes; he and the mouse (still toting the banana) follow her back, this time to settle in the middle of the bed. The amiable cartoon characters, vibrant palette, and affectionate tone of the author's art recall Thacher Hurd's cheerful illustrations. Delightful. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: April 13, 1994
ISBN: 0-399-22445-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1994
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