A classic scenario from the innovative creator of Charlie Parker Played Be Bop (1992)—two boys parlaying what could be a confrontation into friendship—in a series of monosyllabic exchanges between a stylishly informal, self-confident boy (black) who appears on the left-hand pages and the anxious, overdressed (white) newcomer on the right. ``Yo!'' ``Yes?''/``Hey!'' ``Who?''/``You!'' ``Me?'' they parry, their feet precisely planted at page bottom, their stances as expressive as the varied styles of Raschka's hand-lettered text. Succinctly, they move on to an important confidence: ``What's up?'' ``Not much.''/``Why?'' ``No fun.''/``Oh?'' ``No friends'' and to a gleeful epiphany—``Me!'' ``You?''/``Yes, me!'' ``You!''/``Well?'' ``Well.''/``?'' ``Yes!''—and their feet spring up from the page's edge: ``Yo! Yes! Yow!'' Whether it's caution or prejudice that's overcome, the process is reduced to elementals—two figures, roughly drawn yet vibrant with feeling, and their comical dialogue (a breeze for beginning readers), encompassing a world of meaning. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-531-05469-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A feathered cast of flight experts can’t lift one up as high as a friend.
A tot tries to fly a paper airplane but is hampered by unsolicited advice.
After carefully studying the book Flying 101, Riley is ready. Wearing aviator goggles and a scarf, light-skinned Riley prepares to fold a paper airplane and watch it soar. The countdown begins: “3 … 2 … 1…” Suddenly a large eagle appears, shouting, “STOP!” The eagle boastfully explains that Riley’s airplane won’t fly: “I rule the sky because I’m large and in charge. Trust me, it needs to be bigger!” So Riley folds a bigger plane. The countdown begins again. This time, a colorful parrot dives in, interrupting the process once more. “Only the best and brightest can rise above the rest. Don’t you see? It needs to be fancier!” So Riley adds vibrant colors. However, more and more birds squawk their suggestions (“faster!” “taller!” “longer!” “smarter!”). Fed up, Riley marches to a quiet spot, meeting one more avian visitor. But this one just might have what is needed for the airplane—and friendship—to soar. Set against large swaths of white space, the realistically depicted but expressive birds swoop in through the frames with their opinions. The repeating countdown refrain and consistent interruptions are surefire crowd pleasers for a read-aloud delight.
A feathered cast of flight experts can’t lift one up as high as a friend. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 12, 2024
ISBN: 9780593696729
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
Rick the bear and his pal, Jack the rabbit, star in their second emergent reader, featuring just one or two short and simple sentences per page. Rick is sick in bed and Jack tries to help by bringing hot tea and an ice pack, by sitting on Rick’s tummy, and finally by curling up next to Rick for a nap. McPhail’s appealing animal characters are full of expression as always, with the pair of devoted friends featured in circular watercolor-and-ink illustrations alternating with pages of text. The actual story is just 16 pages long, with the remaining pages devoted to a follow-up activity (creating a friendship award), a page of discussion questions, author biography, and two pages of information about the Green Light Readers series, including a list of titles. This format seems intended for classroom use and includes guided reading and Reading Recovery levels for teachers. (Easy reader. 5-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-15-205091-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Green Light/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2004
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