Guest debuts in children’s books with a story of intergenerational love, focusing on the gardening efforts of two small animals. With the expert guidance of Ganny Bun, Tiny Bun and his friend, Little Mouse, learn how to create, care for, and grow a garden. Under Ganny’s tutelage, the duo learn of the six elements necessary for a garden: soil, seed, water, sun, time, and love. Together the novice gardeners prepare the soil, select and plant a plethora of seeds, and water the seedlings. When Tiny Bun, balking at the seemingly endless wait for results, asks Ganny Bun what he should do until the plants are ready, she shows him how he can turn his ordinary thumbs into tiny green thumbs. After doing all the weeding and caring for the plants, Tiny Bun discovers that his little thumbs are indeed green (and brown too, from all the weeds and dirt) and a bountiful vegetable garden awaits him for harvesting. Guest imbues the tale with genuine passion for the art of gardening and all things leafy and green. Krupinski’s lush illustrations, meticulously detailed and overflowing with an abundance of flora, depict the verdant beauty of a summer garden in all its glory. Interspersed throughout the text are simple, child-friendly directions for engaging in the pleasures of gardening. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7868-0516-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
The gastronomical oddity of eating winged and many-legged creatures is fleetingly examined in a superficial text that looks at animals and people who eat insects. Bugs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are gobbled up by a shrew, an aardvark, a bear, a gecko, and others. The rhyme scheme limits the information presented; specificity about the types of insects eaten is sacrificed for the sake of making the rhyme flow, e.g., a mouse, a trout, a praying mantis, a nuthatch, and a bat are repeatedly said to eat “bugs” or “insects” in general, rather than naming the mayflies, moths, or grubs they enjoy. An author’s note explains her choice of the word bugs for all crawly things; an addendum takes care of other particulars lacking in the text. Long’s exacting pen-and-ink style lends a naturalistic perfection to this visual playground of the insect world, enhancing this glimpse of vital link in the food chain. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-88106-271-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
Big Brown Bear, with a natty bowler hat, is all set to paint the house in this cheerful Level 1 reader. Every page presents a full-color scene and a few words of easily predicted, often rhyming text: “Bear is big. Bear is brown. Bear goes up. He comes down.” Big Bear climbs a ladder with a pail of blue paint, while nearby, Little Bear plays with a ball and bat—“Oh no! Little Bear! Do not do that!” These are simple words, but sometimes challenging ones, e.g., there are two uses of up, as in climbing the ladder and washing up. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations provide nearly ideal context, while also amplifying the story. The format is attractive and practical, featuring large type on a white background that is placed for easy reading. Beginning readers will be amused by the gentle humor in the book, and feel accomplished to have tackled it themselves. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201999-5
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Green Light/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
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