Formulaic but funny.
No. 1 cave boy loses his mojo and his reputation when a flashy new kid comes along.
Little Orq and his pet mastodon, Woma, are the pride of the cave community. Orq can throw far, climb high, and run fast. (He’s a tiny, redheaded, white lad in a one-shoulder outfit that looks made of grass.) Woma sleeps lots, eats tons, and loves plenty. They are No. 1. “Everybody think so.” That is, until Torq comes along, with his big gray pet, Slomo, who resembles a giant sloth. Torq throws farther, climbs higher, and runs…“you get picture.” Torq becomes the new No. 1. Everybody thinks so, especially Torq himself. Orq’s mother tells him not to worry, but her advice falls on deaf ears. One day, Torq decides to climb a high mountain, far away from his home cave. Orq naturally follows, along with Slomo and Woma. The reckless Torq takes a tumble, hurting his ankle very badly. Orq springs into action, making a platform out of tropical tree trunks and then inventing the wheel to make a cart Woma can pull. Orq and Woma are No. 1 again. “Everybody think so.” Especially Torq, whom readers see zooming by in a cool, newly invented wheelchair. Elliott’s hilarious, clipped prose is the star of his third Orq adventure. Nichols’ pencil illustrations are drolly in tune, though they depict an all-white prehistoric society.
Formulaic but funny. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-62979-336-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
A simple story enhanced by its funny, gently ironic illustrations.
A little girl diligently gets ready for her day but leaves lots of messes in her wake.
The unnamed girl has light brown skin and dark brown curls similar to her dad’s, and her mom is white. The characters in the digital illustrations have big, exaggerated eyes. The child narrates the text matter-of-factly in simple rhyming sentences: “Time to go potty. I can do this! / Mommy is there to make sure I don’t miss.” Each double-page spread presents a slightly different, humorous visual interpretation of the situation, and it’s in this juxtaposition that the book shines. The cat’s in the hamper, underwear and socks are on the floor, and the pink toilet paper is trailing all over. The two parents seem a little overwhelmed. As they both try to get the girl into her clothes, one arm escapes, and the dad is really sweating from exertion. She insists on tying her laces and buttoning her coat, and the illustrations show the exuberant but incomplete results. As the girl grabs her backpack, her apple rolls out, and Mommy has to grab it. At school, she hangs her coat up, but somehow it lands on the floor (her scarf is also awry), and observant viewers will notice that her shoelace is still untied. In her diverse classroom, she proudly announces: “But this time Daddy, I won’t cry”—and now readers can believe her: there’s nary a tear in sight.
A simple story enhanced by its funny, gently ironic illustrations. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-60537-342-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clavis
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2017
A simple spin on Parr’s It’s Okay to Be Different (2001) but still worth shouting from the rooftops.
A call to celebrate unique characteristics and individuality.
“Be who you are” is essentially the message behind every Parr book, subtle or not. His latest doesn’t pull any punches; it splashes self-acceptance across every page. “Be old. Be young. / Be a different color.” (Not that one ever has to remind Parr’s readers of that!) “Be silly” is paired with the obligatory shot of underwear on one’s head, while “Be brave” shows a tiny fish face to face with a shark (the shark just might be the bravest of all). A more-contemplative scene shows a cat peering curiously at a dog’s food bowl, with the guidance: “Learn in your own way.” (A few pages later two turquoise pigeons peer at a hot dog; a nifty literary nod.) A note to readers tells of Parr’s fourth-grade penchant for clip-on ties and purple sunglasses. To children everywhere, as well as to the child within himself, Parr declares: “Wear everything you need to be you.” Accompanying this invitation are six smiling figures, one a child with close-cropped hair, trousers, and a pink boa and another with an enormous Afro. Parr’s trademark bright colors and wild fashion abound, but the one thing that unifies all? A single line, curved into a smile.
A simple spin on Parr’s It’s Okay to Be Different (2001) but still worth shouting from the rooftops. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Dec. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-26523-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2016
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