by Carolyn Jackson & illustrated by Graham Bardell ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 1995
A breezy, enthralling look at how wild animals are safely transported by air, with big, hilarious cartoon illustrations. As newcomer Jackson tells it, some creatures are easy to please; just crate up ostriches, kangaroos (but pad the top, please), and sloths; give flamingoes and hummingbirds plenty of company; be sure giraffes are facing backwards; and bury heavy- drinking elephants knee-deep in absorbent peat moss. Lions and leopards prefer to travel in darkness, but birds need enough light to see their food. The author supplements her survey with boxes of random facts, sometimes oversimplified (``Elephants are the only animal with four knees. . .'') but selected with a keen appreciation for the intended audience: ``When they are hot, kangaroos lick their armpits to cool down.'' Bardell depicts each animal passenger with human eyes and comically exaggerated expressions—generally anxious or dismayed, although the flamingoes gossip amiably, and the huge, looming gorilla nibbles daintily on tiny jam and honey sandwiches. This is written in generalities, but touches on a topic rarely, if at all, covered elsewhere, making it a delightful choice for either pleasure or purposeful reading. (Nonfiction. 6-9)
Pub Date: May 15, 1995
ISBN: 0-7167-6594-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1995
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by Doreen Cronin & illustrated by Harry Bliss ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2005
The wriggly narrator of Diary of a Worm (2003) puts in occasional appearances, but it’s his arachnid buddy who takes center stage here, with terse, tongue-in-cheek comments on his likes (his close friend Fly, Charlotte’s Web), his dislikes (vacuums, people with big feet), nervous encounters with a huge Daddy Longlegs, his extended family—which includes a Grandpa more than willing to share hard-won wisdom (The secret to a long, happy life: “Never fall asleep in a shoe.”)—and mishaps both at spider school and on the human playground. Bliss endows his garden-dwellers with faces and the odd hat or other accessory, and creates cozy webs or burrows colorfully decorated with corks, scraps, plastic toys and other human detritus. Spider closes with the notion that we could all get along, “just like me and Fly,” if we but got to know one another. Once again, brilliantly hilarious. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-000153-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2005
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by Kwame Alexander & illustrated by Tim Bowers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2011
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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