by Brian Lies ; illustrated by Brian Lies ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 30, 2018
A beautifully illustrated and gratifying story of woodland-creature comradeship and determination.
Izzy, a chipmunk, braves a storm, relying on her friends’ resourcefulness to get to Bear’s house.
When Izzy receives a note from Bear asking her to come over right away, she can’t refuse. As she steps out the door, it begins to snow. As the snow gets thicker, she finds it more and more difficult to find her way. Soon, a squirrel in a sweater comes to her rescue and takes her across the treetops to get to Bear’s. When it gets too slippery, a duck in a Peruvian hat starts to fly them all there. When it gets too difficult to see, a sweater-wearing raccoon carries them all (one perched atop the other, “Musicians of Bremen” style) by leaping across the snow. After a long journey in the blizzard and assistance from this accumulation of friends, Izzy finally makes it to Bear’s house for a delightful surprise. Lies creates a charming, heartwarming story of friendship, goodwill, and perseverance. His attention to the tiniest details—seemingly each hair on the raccoon’s tail can be descried, not to mention the profusion and variety of knitwear—elevates the book above the ordinary. The landscape illustrations are exquisite. Often illustrating the intensifying blizzard on double-page spreads, he draws readers in and puts them in the middle of the storm.
A beautifully illustrated and gratifying story of woodland-creature comradeship and determination. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 30, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-544-94882-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
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by Craig Smith ; illustrated by Katz Cowley ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2010
Hee haw.
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The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
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by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2022
Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient.
How do you make a new friend when an old one moves away?
Buddy (from Sorry, Grown-Ups, You Can’t Go to School, 2019, etc.) is feeling lonely. His best friend just moved across town. To make matters worse, there is a field trip coming up, and Buddy needs a bus partner. His sister, Lady, has some helpful advice for making a new pal: “You just need to find something you have in common.” Buddy loves the game Robo Chargers and karate. Surely there is someone else who does, too! Unfortunately, there isn’t. However, when a new student arrives (one day later) and asks everyone to call her Sunny instead of Alison, Buddy gets excited. No one uses his given name, either; they just call him Buddy. He secretly whispers his “real, official name” to Sunny at lunch—an indication that a true friendship is being formed. The rest of the story plods merrily along, all pieces falling exactly into place (she even likes Robo Chargers!), accompanied by Bowers’ digital art, a mix of spot art and full-bleed illustrations. Friendship-building can be an emotionally charged event in a child’s life—young readers will certainly see themselves in Buddy’s plight—but, alas, there is not much storytelling magic to be found. Buddy and his family are White, Sunny and Mr. Teacher are Black, and Buddy’s other classmates are racially diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Making friends isn’t always this easy and convenient. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-30709-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 29, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2022
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by Christina Geist ; illustrated by Tim Bowers
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