A jungle tug-of-war captures the colorful pizazz of tropical plant and animal life, but not the suspense of the real rope- pulling game. When a monkey drops in—literally falling off a vine—and tumbles into the jungle's watering hole, he upsets the calm routine of the other inhabitants. The giraffe and the monkey argue over possession of the vine, and soon the disagreement turns into a tugging match. Heavyweights join up on both sides, e.g., the rhino comes to the giraffe's aid, while the elephant lends her trunk to the monkey's cause. But the sides are so evenly matched that the only thing that can break the day-long deadlock is the vine itself, giving way to the pressure in a splendid wordless, double gate-fold spread. The author's gorgeous collages employ painted hues of magenta, aqua, and various greens, along with patterns like reptilian scales, to create a lush rainforest on these pages. The collages are eye-catching, but may appear somewhat abstract, and therefore less than involving, to very young readers. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-670-87473-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1997
While her father mows the lawn at her new house, Caroline wonders how it could actually reflect the street’s name. Soon she finds a small blossom growing in the grass, then another, and eventually persuades Dad to sell the mower while the yard grows freely with wildflowers. Adding a maple tree and a man-made pond attracts an assortment of wildlife from birds, to insects, to a mud turtle and a meadow mouse. Neighbors are encouraged to follow suit, creating meadow environments rather than pristine lawns. Full-color acrylic paintings in double-paged spreads of multiple shades of green, dotted with hues of summer flowers, tell this nature-lover’s story which suggests the possibility of chemical-free garden environments. Though the message will be missed by young children, most will enjoy a final rendering of all the meadow creatures next to their proper names that now live on Meadowview Street. Gentle persuasion for the naturalist in everyone. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: May 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-06-056481-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2007
Never has this favorite tale been told with such animation and charming humor. The shepherd boy is bored, really bored. He tries to teach the sheep tricks, but they aren’t interested. He needs excitement so he cries WOLF and everyone comes running; then he cries TWO WOLVES, and the townsfolk run lickety-split to help again. And you know the rest of the story—on his third alarm, no response. Only this time there are THREE HUNGRY WOLVES, and the boy has to hunt all day for his missing sheep by himself. The last spread, wordless, shows the boy searching the pasture while the sheep are stacked up in a tree. Kulikov’s inventive watercolor-and-gouache illustrations give “sheepish grins” new dimension, as the expressions on the animals’ faces are unabashedly funny. It’s the in-your-face angles and perspectives that spin the drama, from the foot-view of the boy picking his nose to sheep-leaping to a pesky fly; even the typeface name, “Uncle Stinky,” fits the romp. Kids will cry for repeated readings of this amusing account. Ovine divine—and darn clever. (Picture book/folktale. 4-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-689-87433-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2006
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