by C. S. Walkingheart ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 8, 2013
A vibrant picture book that, through luminous illustrations and a suspenseful story, will easily help young readers...
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In this captivating picture book for young readers, a Sally Lightfoot crab is taken on an unexpected adventure through the ocean deeps.
With rhyming narration nearly as colorful as the rich illustrations, author and artist Walkingheart (Collin O’Daurc, 2015, etc.) tells a dramatic tale about a little “bright blue and ruby-red” crustacean whose idyllic life in the tide pool is interrupted when she’s swept to the ocean depths by choppy seas. Never fear, this intrepid little Sally is able to hitch a ride on the side of a whale and catch a fortuitous piece of driftwood that will float her back into the shallows—but not before she encounters “The wrecks that wars and storms have drowned,” the “clawed and suckered flurry” of a hungry octopus, and “long-toothed, big-eyed fishes / Who think of crabs as tasty dishes!” Suspense builds, enhanced by the intensity of color and detail in the illustrations. The rhyming text, meanwhile, is crafted with intriguing imagery and vocabulary that respect a child’s intelligence, curiosity, and sense of fun. The real-life Sally Lightfoot crab, found in a wide swath of Atlantic and Pacific coastal areas, provides the model and inspiration for the heroine; Walkingheart also follows the fictional narrative with some factual information about her and a list of “Sally’s Odder Neighbors”—the spiny oyster, brittle star, moray eel, pistol shrimp and more—with child-friendly descriptions and illustrations of each. Walkingheart even sprinkles in a few references to John Steinbeck, concluding with an inviting suggestion: “And someday, maybe you’ll want to read The Log of the Sea of Cortez, by John Steinbeck, where Sally is often mentioned.”
A vibrant picture book that, through luminous illustrations and a suspenseful story, will easily help young readers appreciate ocean life.Pub Date: April 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-1484060186
Page Count: 42
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs & illustrated by Michael Hays ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2001
The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83271-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
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by Janice Boland & illustrated by G. Brian Karas ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1996
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
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