A sweet tale about the path to generosity.
Another young resident of Bunnyland learns a lesson about money.
Chummy’s grandmother gives him 10 carrots for his birthday (carrots, of course, being currency in Bunnyland) along with a piece of advice: “Spend some on yourself, dear, and some on helping others.” Chummy has the perfect plan. He will buy a superhero costume and “save the world!” In bright blue overalls, using a twig for a sword, Chummy is ready to slay dragons, soaring through the air in his imagination. Gran wonders if maybe he should reconsider. After all, there aren’t many dragons in Bunnyland. How else could he help? Gran, teetering on a ladder while picking apples on the farm, suggests helping the bumblebees. Chummy mulls over his options, laid out graphically by McLeod: If he spends all 10 carrots on the costume, he will have no carrots left to help the bees. But if he buys only the cape, he will still have 5 carrots left to purchase some flowers. Or, if he doesn’t buy anything at all for himself, he would have 10 whole carrots for the bees. It is a tough decision. Young financial analysts will certainly have an opinion while reading and weighing the choices, making this a solid jumping-off point for discussions about charitable giving. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.5-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 51.3% of actual size.)
A sweet tale about the path to generosity. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-984812-43-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: June 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2020
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
Willems’ formula is still a winner.
The pigeon is back, and he is filthy!
Readers haven’t seen the pigeon for a couple of years, not since The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? (2012), and apparently he hasn’t bathed in all that time. Per the usual routine, the bus driver (clad in shower cap and bathrobe) opens the story by asking readers to help convince the pigeon to take a bath. Though he’s covered in grime, the obstreperous bird predictably resists. He glares at readers and suggests that maybe they need baths. With the turn of the page, Willems anticipates readers’ energetic denials: The pigeon demands, “YEAH! When was the last time YOU had a bath?!” Another beat allows children to supply the answer. “Oh.” A trio of flies that find him repulsive (“P.U.!”) convinces him it’s time. One spread with 29 separate panels depicts the pigeon adjusting the bath (“Too wet!…Too cold.…Too reflective”) before the page turn reveals him jumping in with a spread-filling “SPLASH!” Readers accustomed to the pigeon formula will note that here the story breaks from its normal rhythms; instead of throwing a tantrum, the pigeon discovers what readers already know: “This is FUN!” All the elements are in place, including page backgrounds that modulate from dirty browns to fresh, clean colors and endpapers that bookend the story (including a very funny turnabout for the duckling, here a rubber bath toy).
Willems’ formula is still a winner. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9087-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2014
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