Llewellyn’s K. Fisher (see publisher’s name) is the Dear Abby of the animal kingdom. Smart quips, sage advice and factoids about all sorts of species and their adaptations fill the pages of this cleverly conceived collection of letters. On the left, children read one animal’s plea for help, while Fisher’s responses fill the right-hand pages. Among those Dr. K. helps are a tadpole whose “body is changing in alarming ways,” a giraffe who just wants to be like everyone else, a mackerel who wants a life of his own, a male orb spider with relationship trouble and a dung beetle disgusted with his diet. Four additional spreads offer more in-depth facts about various aspects of animal life, including life cycles (metamorphosis), feeding (adaptations), warning colors and food chains. Sheppard’s brightly colored cartoon illustrations are fabulously quirky, especially against the background of real stationery paper, envelopes and instant photo frames. The animals’ facial expressions speak volumes and are sure to spark chuckles. A table of contents, glossary and index make navigation to favorite pages easier and will appeal to teachers introducing the parts of a book. Animal lovers will eat this one up. (Nonfiction. 3-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 8, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7534-6043-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kingfisher
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2007
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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A beautiful tribute to the uniqueness of every child: “On the night you were born, the moon smiled with such wonder that the stars peeked in to see you and the night wind whispered, ‘Life will never be the same.’ ” The wind and the rain whispered the new babe’s name, causing animals all over the world to rejoice. And if ever that child thinks that he is unloved, all he need do is listen to the wind and look around at nature—they will remind him of just how special and loved he is. New parents and grandparents will get teary as they celebrate with the author the wonder and marvel that is their newborn baby, while young listeners will be thrilled at being the center of creation’s attention. Neither group will notice the uneven rhyme scheme employed in the text or the failure of the author to carry through in encouraging parent and child to interact. The focus will be on the paint-and-collage illustrations, rich in color and incorporating words from the text. Perfect for lap sharing with a beloved little one. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-9765761-0-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Darling Press
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2005
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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A repressive teacher almost ruins second grade for a prodigy in this amusing, if overwritten, tale. Having shown a fascination with great buildings since constructing a model of the Leaning Tower of Pisa from used diapers at age two, Iggy sinks into boredom after Miss Greer announces, throwing an armload of histories and craft projects into the trash, that architecture will be a taboo subject in her class. Happily, she changes her views when the collapse of a footbridge leaves the picnicking class stranded on an island, whereupon Iggy enlists his mates to build a suspension bridge from string, rulers and fruit roll-ups. Familiar buildings and other structures, made with unusual materials or, on the closing pages, drawn on graph paper, decorate Roberts’s faintly retro cartoon illustrations. They add an audience-broadening element of sophistication—as would Beaty’s decision to cast the text into verse, if it did not result in such lines as “After twelve long days / that passed in a haze / of reading, writing and arithmetic, / Miss Greer took the class / to Blue River Pass / for a hike and an old-fashioned picnic.” Another John Lithgow she is not, nor is Iggy another Remarkable Farkle McBride (2000), but it’s always salutary to see young talent vindicated. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-8109-1106-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2007
Categories: CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S
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