This young narrator loves bugs of all sorts, including several creepy-crawlies that are not bugs or even insects. The child’s passion comes across in the punchy adjectives used to describe the plethora of up-close critters that festoon the pages. “I love springy jumpy leapy bugs / and slimy crawly creepy bugs.” And which are the best? Why, the ones that send you screaming, of course. While scientists may decry the grouping of spiders and insects under the “bug” heading, they cannot deny the infectiousness of the child’s enthusiasm. The large font and easy vocabulary make this a great choice for beginning readers. Even children who don’t love bugs (or insects or spiders) should enjoy identifying the many creepy critters between the covers. Dodd once again emplys large colorful ilustrations that fill the pages and give readers a sense of being enclosed in the book right alongside the narrator. Paired with Bob Barner’s classic Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! (1999) or Denise Fleming’s taxonomically correct Beetle Bop (2007) as a springboard for an adjective lesson or on its own, this is just plain fun. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: March 15, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2280-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2010
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
The words to a Christmas song from the 1950s serve as the text for this exploration of a most unusual Christmas gift. An unnamed little girl in pink pajamas is the first-person narrator, explaining in detail why she wants a hippopotamus as her present. Various views of the hippo are shown in a slightly confusing, nonlinear time sequence, but then why would time proceed in a straightforward fashion with a hippo in the house? Santa is shown pushing the hippo through the door, and the following pages show the little girl caring for her hippo, unwrapping it as a Christmas package (a different packaging treatment is shown on the cover), and then flying off with Santa as the hippo pulls the sleigh. Though the little girl and the words to the song are rather ordinary, the lively, lavender hippo in Whatley’s illustrations is a delightful creature, with a big, pink bow on its head and expressive, bulging eyes. (In fact, that hippo deserves a name and a story of its own.) The music and song lyrics are included in the final spread. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-052942-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2005
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