by Danna Smith & illustrated by Valeria Petrone ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 2011
Arr—pirates may not surrender without a fight, but even the rowdiest readers will have to concede the inevitability of...
’Tis a cheerful afternoon on Spyglass Street, with swords flashing and pirates plundering—until Mom interrupts the fun.
“Time for a nap, rowdy crew. / Mighty pirates need sleep too.” But the two little buccaneers don’t agree. A mutiny is staged (or temper tantrum—rebellion takes all forms), and the Captain defiantly cries, “’Tis a trap! / Pirates never, ever nap!” The two boys set off running through the house, searching for treasure along the way. Yellow coins are found buried in the couch, a brown wooden chest is discovered in the attic and sparkling orange beads are hidden in the closet. But avast, every adventure must come to an end. The tired pirates find their ship (the bed), stow their treasure, lift the anchor (a green boot) and sail off to sleep. Smith and Petrone pair once again (Two at the Zoo, 2009) for another lively concept-book creation. With staccato sentences and a snappy scansion that never wastes a syllable, it is impossible to deny the energy found in these two imaginative little boys. Petrone’s unmuddled palette and stretchy, loose-limbed characters add even more bounce to the romp.
Arr—pirates may not surrender without a fight, but even the rowdiest readers will have to concede the inevitability of naptime. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-57531-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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by Jimmy Fallon ; illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2015
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it.
A succession of animal dads do their best to teach their young to say “Dada” in this picture-book vehicle for Fallon.
A grumpy bull says, “DADA!”; his calf moos back. A sad-looking ram insists, “DADA!”; his lamb baas back. A duck, a bee, a dog, a rabbit, a cat, a mouse, a donkey, a pig, a frog, a rooster, and a horse all fail similarly, spread by spread. A final two-spread sequence finds all of the animals arrayed across the pages, dads on the verso and children on the recto. All the text prior to this point has been either iterations of “Dada” or animal sounds in dialogue bubbles; here, narrative text states, “Now everybody get in line, let’s say it together one more time….” Upon the turn of the page, the animal dads gaze round-eyed as their young across the gutter all cry, “DADA!” (except the duckling, who says, “quack”). Ordóñez's illustrations have a bland, digital look, compositions hardly varying with the characters, although the pastel-colored backgrounds change. The punch line fails from a design standpoint, as the sudden, single-bubble chorus of “DADA” appears to be emanating from background features rather than the baby animals’ mouths (only some of which, on close inspection, appear to be open). It also fails to be funny.
Plotless and pointless, the book clearly exists only because its celebrity author wrote it. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-250-00934-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
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SEEN & HEARD
by Michael Whaite ; illustrated by Michael Whaite ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 2, 2019
Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their...
Less ambitious than Chris Gall’s widely known Dinotrux (2009) and sequels, this British import systematically relegates each dinosaur/construction-equipment hybrid to its most logical job.
The title figures are introduced as bigger than both diggers and dinosaurs, and rhyming text and two construction-helmeted kids show just what these creatures are capable of. Each diggersaur has a specific job to do and a distinct sound effect. The dozersaurus moves rocks with a “SCRAAAAPE!!!” while the rollersaurus flattens lumps with a cheery “TOOT TOOT!!” Each diggersaur is numbered, with 12 in all, allowing this to be a counting book on the sly. As the diggersaurs (not all of which dig) perform jobs that regular construction equipment can do, albeit on a larger scale, there is no particular reason why any of them should have dinosaurlike looks other than just ’cause. Peppy computer art tries valiantly to attract attention away from the singularly unoriginal text. “Diggersaurs dig with bites so BIG, / each SCOOP creates a crater. // They’re TOUGH and STRONG / with necks so long— / they’re super EXCAVATORS!” Far more interesting are the two human characters, a white girl and a black boy, that flit about the pictures offering commentary and action. Much of the fun of the book can be found in trying to spot them on every two-page spread.
Count on construction die-hards falling in love, but discerning readers would be wise to look elsewhere for their dino/construction kicks. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-9848-4779-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
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