In this unapologetically goofy story, a young Canadian he-moose falls for a beautiful she-moose not only because of her lovely exterior but also because she’s kind. One day, just when the shy he-moose (with unusual, question-mark-shaped antlers) has mustered the courage to speak to his beloved, the evil trapper Steel McSteal nets her and hauls her off to New York City to display her for profit. Devastated, the he-moose vows to rescue her. Thanks to the owly Professor McFowl, he drinks an invisibility potion (to sneak by hunters) and heads south to Manhattan. Many comical invisible-moose scenes ensue, but the funniest is perhaps the depiction of a snowy, small-town Canadian border crossing with a sign that says “Remove your socks at once and place them on the nuclear detection belt” and a lone door stuck in the snow marked “Keep out.” Kellogg’s vibrantly colorful illustrations are sweet and wonderful, bursting with tearful and hilarious moments alike. The inner-beauty-trumps-outer-beauty theme is clumsily wrought, but this pleasingly corny moose romance is charming nonetheless. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-8037-2892-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2006
The lifecycle of the frog is succinctly summarized in this easy reader for children reading at the late first-grade level. In just one or two sentences per page, Vern details the amazing metamorphosis of the frog from egg to tadpole to adult, even injecting a little humor despite the tight word count. (“Watch out fly! Mmmm!) Large, full-color photographs on white backgrounds clearly illustrate each phase of development. Without any mention of laying eggs or fertilization, the title might be a bit misleading, but the development from black dot egg to full-grown frog is fascinating. A simple chart of the three main lifecycle steps is also included. Lifecycles are part of the standard curriculum in the early elementary grades, and this will be a welcome addition to school and public libraries, both for its informational value and as an easy reader. (Nonfiction/easy reader. 5-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-15-216304-2
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Green Light/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2001
A first-rate sharkfest, unusually nutritious for all its brevity.
Buzz and his buzzy buddy open a spinoff series of nonfiction early readers with an aquarium visit.
Buzz: “Like other fish, sharks breathe through gills.” Fly Guy: “GILLZZ.” Thus do the two pop-eyed cartoon tour guides squire readers past a plethora of cramped but carefully labeled color photos depicting dozens of kinds of sharks in watery settings, along with close-ups of skin, teeth and other anatomical features. In the bite-sized blocks of narrative text, challenging vocabulary words like “carnivores” and “luminescence” come with pronunciation guides and lucid in-context definitions. Despite all the flashes of dentifrice and references to prey and smelling blood in the water, there is no actual gore or chowing down on display. Sharks are “so cool!” proclaims Buzz at last, striding out of the gift shop. “I can’t wait for our next field trip!” (That will be Fly Guy Presents: Space, scheduled for September 2013.)
A first-rate sharkfest, unusually nutritious for all its brevity. (Informational easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-50771-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
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