CHIMPS SHOULD BE CHIMPS

Name: CHIMPS SHOULD BE CHIMPS
Author: Claire Friedman

by Claire Friedman & illustrated by Natalie Sklobovskaya & developed by Manning Productions ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 2011

A moving story with graphic appeal makes an effective case for animal rights.

bookshelf

An elderly zoo chimp tells the story of his oppressive early life as an animal performer.

It’s the 50th birthday of Old Poe, a chimp at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, and zookeeper Todd has decorated the outside of Poe's habitat with banners while visitors wish him happy birthday. Poe’s granddaughter, Lulu, asks Poe to tell her about when he was little, and he tells the compelling story of what it was like to be forced into a world where “chimps were not chimps”—where he was caged, frightened and mistreated as an animal entertainer. The artwork is effective, with scenes of Poe being mistreated in the past illustrated in muted, dark colors, while the present zoo-habitat scenes are drawn in glossy, inviting colors. The rhyming text mostly scans, though it never rises above amateurish. The story effectively demonstrates that zoos are qualified to provide chimps with the “appropriate care, housing and rich social life they require to truly be chimps,” but there is no mention of how zoo life compares with the quality of life of chimps in the wild. The app includes a helpful navigation menu and ten “Chimp Facts” to go along with the story. A narration option would be helpful, particularly since the rich language is probably not accessible for early readers.

A moving story with graphic appeal makes an effective case for animal rights. (iPad storybook app. 3-7)

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 2011

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Manning Productions

Review Posted Online: March 4, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2012

bookshelf

ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

bookshelf

Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

bookshelf

IZZY GIZMO AND THE INVENTION CONVENTION

From the Izzy Gizmo series

by Pip Jones ; illustrated by Sara Ogilvie ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2020

A disappointing follow-up.

bookshelf

Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).

While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.

A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)