This upbeat tale of an irrepressible pooch is sure to leave readers smiling.
A dog born without hind legs must think fast when his wheelchair gets a flat tire.
Poojo, a bug-eyed, gray-and-white pup, is unfazed by his lack of hind legs—after all, he’s got snazzy red wheels, with “cool pockets to store stuff.” But above all, he’s got a happy-go-lucky personality. “He’s a good friend to everyone… / and everything,” Charrow notes wryly as Poojo cozies up to a kid’s scooter. “He can do anything,” be it chasing a squirrel, popping wheelies, or, in an energetic double-page spread, outrunning the competition at the dog park’s obstacle course. But when Poojo vexingly gets a flat tire, he must be resourceful. After some trial and error, Poojo and his tiny, pink rabbit sidekick find a solution…along with a clever costume for the doggie costume parade. Elongated pages and ample white space highlight the quirky cartoon illustrations, especially Poojo’s simple but endearing expressions: worry, annoyance, and, above all, happiness. Background characters add amusing notes: A pigeon snorkels in the birdbath, and the other dogs sport wonderfully silly costumes. With straightforward brevity (most spreads have at most one sentence), the text treats Poojo’s condition with matter-of-fact good humor, simultaneously acknowledging the occasional inconvenience of his disability and demonstrating coping skills. Adding to the cheerful tone, the typeface’s large, well-spaced letters curl slightly at the ends, recalling Poojo’s wagging corkscrew tail.
This upbeat tale of an irrepressible pooch is sure to leave readers smiling. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5362-1036-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
The book is available in just about every format--but this is the perfect one.
It's hard to believe that a pop-up wasn't the creators' original intention, so seamlessly do moveable parts dovetail into this modern classic's storyline.
In contrast to the tale's 1998 pop -up version, the figures here move on every page, and with an unusually graceful naturalism to boot. From pulling down Big Nutbrown Hare's ears on the opening spread to make sure he's listening to drowsily turning his head to accept a final good-night kiss in a multi-leveled pull-down tableau at the close, all of Little Nutbrown Hare's hops, stretches and small gestures serve the poetically spare text—as do Big Nutbrown's wider, higher responses to his charge's challenges. As readers turn a flap to read Big Nutbrown's "But I love you this much," his arms extend to demonstrate. The emotional connection between the two hares is clearer than ever in Jeram's peaceful, restrained outdoor scenes, which are slightly larger than those in the trade edition, and the closing scene is made even more intimate by hiding the closing line ("I love you right up to the moon—and back") until an inconspicuous flap is opened up.
The book is available in just about every format--but this is the perfect one. (Pop-up picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7636-5378-1
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 21, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2011
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WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones.
What’s better than a cheerleading chicken?
Are you ever blue, unsure, tired, or overworked? Do you ever feel lost or overwhelmed? This uplifting book, expressed in delightful, jaunty verse, explains how to lift your spirits pronto: What you need is a booster chicken telling you’re doing great even when you’re not so confident, as when you’re learning or practicing a new skill, for instance. Your feathered champion will be right there, encouraging you all the way, with a loud “WOO HOO!” that’ll keep you going and remove any doubt you’re super terrific. But what if your cheerful chick errs and doesn’t do what it set out to do? Don’t worry—your cheery chicken just needs a reminder that everyone makes mistakes. That alone is a pep talk, enhanced by the wisdom that making mistakes allows everyone to learn and demonstrate they did their best. So forgive yourself, chickens! But the best thing is…instead of relying on someone else—like a chicken—to strengthen your ego, say a generous daily “WOO HOO!” to yourself. This riotous book hits all the right notes and does so succinctly and hilariously. The energetic, comical illustrations, in Boynton’s signature style, will elicit giggles and go far to make the book’s important point. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
WOO-HOO! This is the perfect way to foster healthy self-esteem in little ones. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-316-48679-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 23, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2023
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