Roth introduces children to the concept of commuting—mommies and daddies board a train, work all day and then come back home to their children to eat and play, snuggle, read and tuck them in. “The first one on is Fearless Cat. / See his bright red fireman’s hat.” He is followed by “a seal with meals, / a hen with a pen, / a roo in blue, / a bear who cares, / a duck who loves trucks, [and] a newt in his suit,” representing a chef, professor, police officer, doctor, mechanic and business executive. Rhyming verses and repetitive phrasing will appeal to young audiences, although the scansion is at times forced. Add to this mix an interesting variety of careers and some counting, and the result is a solid peek at the adult world for the youngest listeners. Lavis’s kindly animals are outfitted and equipped for easy identification with their professions. Bright colors and extra details are sure to keep children’s interest, while the large illustrations will facilitate group sharing. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8075-0271-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Cash follows up his purple tribute to the love between mothers and sons (Momma Loves Her Little Son, 2009) with an equally labored celebration of the father-daughter bond. With this effort, he (mostly) leaves behind opaque figurative language on his flight of fancy, but scansion and sense still frequently elude him: In Katmandu, “We’ll feast on cakes stacked ten feet high, and dance to Bluebird’s whistle. / We’ll run faster than the tiger through the flowers and the thistles.” Burckhardt’s folk-art–style images replicate the stiff tableaux of the companion title, offering little warmth to readers. It is a shamelessly over-the-top goo-fest that consistently reaches for the easy image with seemingly no regard to art or craft. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: April 27, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4169-7482-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Open Letter
Review Posted Online: May 12, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Bootsy is a remarkable cat; everyone in the family concurs. When Grandmother sees Bootsy balancing a ball of yarn on her paws, she says Bootsy is a real clown. Jeff readily agrees and imagines her clowning at the circus. Ginny points out Bootsy would be scared of the lights and the applause. Father thinks Bootsy would make a great football player when she runs off with his slipper. Jeff agrees again, but Ginny begs to differ. Apparently Ginny doesn’t think Bootsy is a ballerina, or a fisherman, either…but there is one opinion of Bootsy that Ginny and Jeff share—that she’s the BEST cat in the world. Ukrainian-born author/illustrator Gorbachev’s watercolors, infused with a warm yellow cast, give this tale of feline adoration a slightly retro feel. The realistic gainsaying relationship between siblings Ginny and Jeff is a great counterpoint to the absurd imaginings of Bootsy accepting flowers in a tutu and pulling in the nets in a yellow rain slicker. A good but not essential addition to kitty, family or imagination storytimes. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: March 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3675-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 30, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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