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THE MONKEY AND THE BEE

Name: THE MONKEY AND THE BEE
Author: C.P. Bloom
ISBN: 978-1-4197-0886-2

by C.P. Bloom ; illustrated by Peter Raymundo ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2015

This lighthearted story has a lot to offer as a discussion starter and read-aloud.

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A comic tale about sharing and friendship.

In the sequel to The Monkey Goes Bananas (2014), Bloom (actually three authors in one: Carly Dempsey, Ed Bloom and illustrator Raymundo) and Raymundo offer another humorous tale with minimal text. Perhaps beginning where the last story left off, the monkey joyfully contemplates a banana on the copyright page, while an equally happy bee buzzes nearby. As the monkey is about to partake of said banana, the bee lands on it with a hopeful smile. Apparently unwilling to share, the monkey flicks the bee away, but the bee is not so easily dissuaded. What follows is a merry chase in which the monkey gets in serious trouble when a swat meant for the bee lands on a lion—but what’s this? It’s the bee to the rescue! In the end, the two new friends sleep off full stomachs. Using the same dark, heavy-lined style as in the first book, Raymundo places heavy emphasis on the characters by mostly isolating them against blue sky with just a little foliage for set dressing. Perspective, page turns and occasional graphic panels neatly convey the physical comedy.

This lighthearted story has a lot to offer as a discussion starter and read-aloud. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 14, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-4197-0886-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Abrams

Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MONKEY GOES BANANAS
by C.P. Bloom ; illustrated by Peter Raymundo

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MOONLIGHT CRAB COUNT

by Neeti Bathala & Jennifer Keats Curtis ; illustrated by Veronica V. Jones ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 10, 2017

A useful introduction to citizen science.

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On a late spring night under a full moon, Leena, her mother, and her dog count horseshoe crabs on an island beach.

Simply written in short paragraphs, this slim text is long on information if short on excitement. Horseshoe crabs (not true crabs but related to spiders) swarm up beaches along the Atlantic coast to lay eggs in the sand in spring. Millions of migrating shorebirds, including endangered red knots, time their visits to these beaches to feast on the eggs. Humans use the blood of horseshoe crabs to test medicine. The state of the species is important, and citizen scientists like Leena and her mother are deployed to estimate the crab population by counting individuals in a designated area. The authors recount Leena’s experience: a short boat trip, recording time and temperature, looking carefully at an individual crab, getting her dog to wait patiently, and counting while her mother tallies. Jones’ digital paintings resemble animated films; she makes particular use of the spotlight effects of the moonlight. Black-haired Leena and her mother might be of South Asian heritage like the scientist co-author. Four pages of backmatter add helpful information. This story leaves readers with less of a sense of the wonder of this remarkable spring event than Lisa Kahn Schnell and Alan Marks’ High Tide for Horseshoe Crabs (2015) but is more personal. Bat Count, by Anna Forrester and illustrated by Susan Detweiler, publishes simultaneously and features a black family engaging in similar citizen science on their farm.

A useful introduction to citizen science. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-62855-9309

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Arbordale Publishing

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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THE LITTLE PUPPY

From the My Little Animal Friend series

by Nicola Killen ; illustrated by Nicola Killen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 3, 2024

Gives new meaning to the notion that every dog—or pup—has its day.

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A young girl learns that plans that go awry need not spoil the day.

Ollie has ambitious intentions for dog sitting Milo, her grandmother’s puppy, but those plans are spoiled when he chews up her drawing, a gift intended for Grandma when she returns from visiting friends. The girl scolds the little dog and then takes some time to herself, leaving him behind and walking farther and farther away from home in order to cool off. But as the illustrations show, Milo is never far behind, surreptitiously trailing her all the way through the woods. Ollie reflects on the part she played in the drawing’s destruction, since she knew better than to leave it unguarded on the floor, and she regrets getting mad at the dog. When she finally stops and wishes for company, the loyal pup is right nearby. They spend their day frolicking in the woods, playing fetch, splashing in mud puddles, and hunting for treasure as pirates. When they return home, she still has time to draw another picture or two. Accessible text with relatable, appealing characters helps the message of adaptability go down smoothly. The charming artwork features various shades of gray as well as pink and red spot color, often in heart shapes. Ollie, who has skin the white of the page, wears a dog costume throughout the story. Her experience demonstrates that things can work out just fine, even when they weren’t what you had in mind.

Gives new meaning to the notion that every dog—or pup—has its day. (Picture book. 4-7)