With a deft minimalism recalling Charles Schultz or Mo Willems, Browne creates a character to care about, whether excavating...
A pit bull transforms a simple bath into an underwater epic in Browne’s picture-book debut.
Marlo’s early appearances are rear views as he runs off the page, then digs up the garden. Finally he rests, a red flower comically planted on his head while he gazes quizzically at readers. Brief sentences and pen-and-watercolor images on generous white backgrounds create a seemingly tidy narrative as the bath begins—a contrast with Marlo’s imagined aquatic adventures. Ensconced in a claw-foot tub, rubber duck at his side, the dog catches a wave into colorful, full-bleed compositions depicting exotic plant life and sea creatures. Words disappear. When the duck is catapulted into the deep, his owner dons scuba gear. Children will enjoy the challenging hide-and-seek game that follows in the swirls of pattern and movement. The tension generated as Marlo is pursued by a shark and swallowed by a whale is relieved in the mammal’s belly when good-hearted penguins, partying in an underwater galleon, rescue Marlo and introduce him to their admiral, who has protected the beloved object. As with all good fantasies, the homecoming reveals clues that connect to the journey. This one also leads to laughter.
With a deft minimalism recalling Charles Schultz or Mo Willems, Browne creates a character to care about, whether excavating at home or when plunged into the pleasures and perils of the wider world. Dripping with delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 21, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-244113-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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