A case of egg-napping and mistaken identity finds a chicken being raised in the household of an eagle. Dylan is still an egg when his mother, Ethel, decides to stretch her cramped legs, only to have her cherished egg snatched by a balding crow who thinks an egg is just what’s needed to grow some new feathers. Ethel creates such a ruckus, the crow drops the egg into a nest high in a tree, said nest harboring two much larger eggs. Ethel, who can’t fly worth a hoot, clucks and cries down below as an eagle returns to that nest. Momma eagle, “whose name is too hard to pronounce,” is suspicious of the little egg, but with a mother’s protectiveness, she keeps it warm until it hatches. It’s a sorry creature that emerges, in the eagle’s eye, and Dylan looks even sorrier when the other two eggs hatch. He establishes communication with Ethel below, but is confounded as to who his real mother is. When he hasn’t got a taste for the grub the mother eagle supplies, nor can he fly any better than any other chicken, he has his own suspicions. These are finally laid to rest when a fox nearly eats Ethel and his childlike protectiveness swings into action, summoning in Dylan the boldness, if not the grace, of an eagle. Though not very strong in the identity department, this is most pleasurable in the confusion Dylan generates in the eagle family: the mother’s befuddlement and the siblings’ desire to eat him (he “smells just like chicken”). Harrison’s (Volcanoes, p. 1131, etc.) telling has that droll wit that bespeaks the silliness of the situation. Brooks’s (Sister for Sale, not reviewed, etc.) art tends to be sugary when it comes to Dylan, with his pop eyes and furry feathers, but it also has the spark of narrative animation, making it easy for younger readers to follow. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 1-56397-982-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2002
An infectious seasonal read-aloud.
The cow’s cold turns her moo into a boo, scaring all of the farm animals—and even, thankfully, a would-be predator.
With the repeated refrain “the cow said, ‘Boo!’ ” Button’s story lends itself perfectly to a preschool group read-aloud. When the ill (and therefore clumsy) cow stumbles into a clothesline and becomes enveloped in a ghostly sheet, she unintentionally shocks her fellow farm animals. Seeing her friends’ terrified reactions to her greetings, the still-enshrouded cow sadly goes off by herself. But when she notices a fox creeping toward her friends, she uses her new scariness to save the farm. Button’s rhyming text hits at just the right pace, encouraging participation from little readers. Kids will love being in on the joke that the cow isn’t really a ghost, and the silliness of the animal sounds when they all catch the cow’s cold will certainly elicit many a giggle. Carter’s illustrations include subtle hints at fall and Halloween even though the text doesn’t explicitly mention the season: Pumpkins dot the field, there’s a jack-o’-lantern shirt on the clothesline, and leaves float across the pages. The real visual highlight, however, is the progression of frames showing the fox sneaking through the field of snoozing animals. The glow of the moonlight acts as a spotlight on the fox, drawing readers’ attention to the action the animals don’t notice. The rear endpapers present five illustrated steps to “wash your hooves and paws!” and keep colds away.
An infectious seasonal read-aloud. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-77278-216-5
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Pajama Press
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Captivating illustrations paired with a simple, charming story.
Mina, a tiny white mouse, does not know what to think about her father’s unusual houseguests.
Introvert Mina generally isn’t bothered by any of her father’s odd finds, including old tin cans, stamps he displays as fine art, and a troupe of wandering musicians. What finally pulls her nose out of her books are the “squirrels” her father brings home…rather huge, cat-looking ones. Suspecting that the creatures aren’t really squirrels, Mina keeps a wary eye on them for the next few days while her father makes the guests feel at home. When the cats turn against the mice, Mina’s father’s previous adventure in teaching stick insects to read comes in handy, and his refrain that “everything will be fine” proves true. Forsythe manages to convey so much personality in such a small package. Mina’s ability to remain engrossed in her books despite her eccentric father’s whims is amusing. The soft-edged illustrations have the gorgeous warmth and glow of firelight, with a palette dominated by shades of orange, burnt browns, and ranges of yellow with touches of blue. Light and shadow bring the mice’s world to life, providing dimension and movement. One cat is so expertly drawn that a slight shift of its eyes captures its sly intentions. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Captivating illustrations paired with a simple, charming story. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8041-3
Page Count: 68
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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