Attractive illustrations, gentle humor and a large but satisfying coincidence propel this first effort toward a happy ending.
The plot is simple. A beloved cat, left behind in the bustle of moving, first tries to catch up then considers a variety of options before finding the perfect new home. Mader matter-of-factly describes Slipper the cat’s wanderings and adds a touch of humor to the potentially poignant tale by assigning names to human characters based on their footwear. Shown from Slipper’s vantage point, the pictures likewise focus on feet, from the cat’s original owner, Mrs. Fluffy Slippers, through strangers that include the friendly Ms. Muddy Boots, intimidating High Tops and noisy Mr. Big Boots to the warmly welcoming Miss Shiny Shoes. Mader’s realistic drawings, created with pastels, are particularly effective when a single image dominates the page (Mr. Big Boots’ shiny red motorcycle on one spread, Slipper herself on another). While occasionally somewhat static, they add charm to the straightforward story and effectively portray both setting and characters. In at least one instance—a double-page spread that shows Slipper’s silhouette, small and far off, engulfed by the dark forest around her—the pictures also add an emotional resonance that is mostly missing from the brisk text.
Given the appealing subject matter, tightly focused visual storytelling and feel-good resolution, Slipper’s adventures will likely find an enthusiastic audience, particularly among feline fanciers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97458-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2013
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
51
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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
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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