THE LONG AND SHORT TAIL OF COLO AND RUFF

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THE LONG AND SHORT TAIL OF COLO AND RUFF

Name: THE LONG AND SHORT TAIL OF COLO AND RUFF
Author: Diane Lang
ISBN: 978-1-60718-738-7

by Diane Lang ; illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 10, 2019

A fine addition to science and nature collections.

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Two inquisitive cubs of different species search their habitat for a new tail for one.

Colo, the cougar cub, is chasing a feather using her long tail for balance when she meets Ruff, a bobcat cub. He’s in awe of her graceful jumping skills, which Colo attributes to her tail. The two set off to find Ruff a better tail. They trap a lizard, but its tail breaks off. They spot a hawk but write it off when a tail feather falls and they fear the whole tail is about to detach. The skunk’s tail’s too smelly, and the gopher’s is just as short as Ruff’s—but the gopher’s speed and agility teach the two cats that a short tail can be useful too. The new friends bid each other goodbye and head back to their mothers to eat. Lang’s nature tale definitely exists to teach, but young animal lovers will enjoy its quick progression. Klein’s realistic, detailed colored-pencil illustrations are a bit washed out but a good accompaniment nonetheless; some hide pictographs on the rocks that predict the story to come. Nearly every double-page spread has one or two facts, marked by a paw print and set in a smaller font, that relate to the action of the story. Backmatter includes species comparisons, a quiz, a tail-matching activity, and information about tail adaptations as well as internet links and sources.

A fine addition to science and nature collections. (Picture book. 6-10)

Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-60718-738-7

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Arbordale Publishing

Review Posted Online: Nov. 20, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2018

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

- BOOK REVIEW
FUR, FEATHER, FIN
by Diane Lang ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis

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DAYTIME NIGHTTIME, ALL THROUGH THE YEAR
by Diane Lang ; illustrated by Andrea Gabriel

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VULTURE VERSES
by Diane Lang & illustrated by Laura Gallegos

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LITTLE DAYMOND LEARNS TO EARN

by Daymond John ; illustrated by Nicole Miles ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2023

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.

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How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!

John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 21, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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GROWING HOME

by Beth Ferry ; illustrated by Eric Fan & Terry Fan ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 27, 2025

Charming.

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An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.

Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.

Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)