Preschoolers familiar with the Caldecott Honor–winning Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type will recognize that cacophonous crew of barnyard animals in this spin-off “alphabetical adventure.” The story begins with an avalanche of alliteration: “Animals awake / beneath blue blankets. / Clickety-clack!” Once again, Farmer Brown’s cows are typing. Duck dashes off with their freshly typed note, but why? And what does the note say? As Duck zooms by goats grooming, hens helping, and inchworms inching, she grabs a mouse-inhabited, picnic basket–bearing red wagon. The mysterious note turns out to be a big X because “X marks the picnic spot.” (A rather central glitch: the bold X is clearly hand-drawn, and the cows were supposed to have typed this note. Ah, well.) The picnicking menagerie (inchworms included) eats a wagonload of watermelon and promptly falls asleep, a rather sudden ending perhaps designed to cue preschoolers to call it a day themselves. Lewin’s brush and watercolor illustrations are as loose and lively as ever, barely restrained by the A-to-Z format that juxtaposes a big lowercase letter with each visual vignette. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-689-87715-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2005
Alborough’s latest endeavor is brief on text but big on emotion. A juvenile chimp wanders the jungle searching for—what else?—a hug. In his journey he encounters familiar inhabitants in adult/infant pairs; elephants, snakes, lions, and others embrace in genial expressions of affection as the forlorn chimp ambles past, plaintively calling out, “Hug.” Soon a menagerie of concerned animals trail in Bobo’s wake as he becomes increasingly distressed. Just when things seem dire, out from the trees swings Bobo’s mom, who joyously envelops her offspring in a warm clasp, inspiring a hug-fest among all the congregated animals. Comprised of only three words (“hug,” “mommy,” and “Bobo”), the spare text leaves plenty of room for Alborough’s eloquent illustrations, a true testimony to the adage “a picture’s worth a thousand words.” The full-color, full-bleed illustrations are rendered in marker pen, allowing Alborough to impart a wealth of expression on the faces and in the body language of the various creatures. Little ones will be tickled pink by the inventive manner in which each creature embraces: chameleons engage in body-to-body hugs while clasping tails; giraffes intertwine their lanky necks; and a young hippo gleefully perches atop its recumbent parent. This warmly inviting tale is bound to inspire many a loving snuggle during storytime. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-1287-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lightweight addition to the often charming Froggy canon. Froggy has to go for his annual check-up at the doctor’s office. At first he’s happy about this, for it means a day off from school. Then he remembers that it might also mean a shot and his enthusiasm quickly dampens. It’s not long, however, before the rambunctious frog is giving the doctor the Froggy business: making the doctor’s hair curl with his dead-fly breath (“I guess I forgot to brush,” he admits), yelling into the stethoscope, accidentally delivering a blow to the doctor’s chops when his reflexes are tested. The doctor does turn the tables when she brandishes the hypodermic, but she’s only kidding and Froggy escapes without puncture. It is all very airy—though energized by Remkiewicz’s bustling watercolors—and fairly aimless as well. There is very little meat for kids to chew on in this story, little even by way of entertainment. Froggy is typically good at offering a little direction to young readers—about sportsmanship, for instance, or how not to eat in restaurants—but no such is tendered here, be it positive or negative example, except for a slight introduction to the event. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-670-03578-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
