Middle-of-the-road farm fare.
Turns out he was following more than just the chickens….
Donkey politely but urgently wakes the farmer, a white man in pig-adorned pajamas, at 5:05 a.m. to tell him the pigs have escaped and are headed to town. The farmer doesn’t believe his donkey. An hour later, Donkey wakes the farmer again to tell him the cow has escaped—and so have the sheep. While the farmer’s making coffee at 6:25, Donkey tells him the chickens and the goats are gone too…turns out the fair is on, and every animal is headed there. The man and his ass get on the tractor (the goats drove off in the truck) and head out to capture the contrary critters. After the roundup, the farmer wonders how this could have happened. Donkey says, “I believe you left the barn door open, Sir.” James’ debut farm fable is told entirely in pictures and dialogue. Alternating between Donkey and the farmer’s conversation, laid out on full- and double-page spreads in green and red type, respectively, is the speech-balloon dialogue of the runaway animals, drawn in comic-style panels that depict them on the way to and having fun at the fair. Herrod’s stubby-legged, pudgy, happy farm animals are pretty funny riding the roller coaster, going down a water slide, zooming on a zip line. The low-key humor—particularly the uber-serious Donkey’s deadpan politeness—and simple story are enjoyable, but, frustratingly, the tale never takes advantage of the joke its title riffs on.
Middle-of-the-road farm fare. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-58536-963-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 20, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2017
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
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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