A jolly tale with stunning illustrations that will delight young readers.
Sidell’s debut picture book takes on a classic childhood rhyme, exploring Fuzzy’s life beyond the story in the quirky chant.
In this retelling of a well-known tale, hairless bear Fuzzy Wuzzy leads a jolly existence. He has a loving wife and cares very much for his bear cub. He’s also a dancer and singer who helps out other animals in need and lives a comfortable life that’s full in every measure aside from his lack of fur. Sidell’s imagining will spark readers’ curiosity as it tackles their potential concerns about Fuzzy’s not fitting in or facing other burdens due to his hairlessness. The light text and Kozhevnikova’s full-page illustrations foster a strikingly positive tone that carries readers through the tale with a sense of delight. Brief lines, with aab rhyme schemes, provide clear explanations of the bear’s actions. Sidell’s word choice is simple and appropriate for very young readers. The affecting, charming images breathe life into the tale and offer a sense of wonder, featuring bright earth tones woven together to create a wilderness paradise. The optimistic tale distinctly lacks conflict, but this choice doesn’t make it any less fun to read.
A jolly tale with stunning illustrations that will delight young readers.Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-59211-058-2
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Histria Kids
Review Posted Online: Jan. 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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