A little imagination and then a plan and the lizards will tackle that next problem with gusto.
A lizard that can’t stay in the sun needs a plan for constant shade.
Paradise for lizards is the warmth of the sun, and a summer’s day finds them all hanging out and sipping iced drinks. One lizard, however, is allergic to the sun. While all the other lizards are sunbathing, this little lizard stays under the leaves of nearby plants to avoid the sun’s rays. But it doesn’t want to miss out on all the fun. “I think…I need a plan!” This invites readers into the process: in thinking, sketching out a plan, gathering materials, and preparing the materials for use. The first experiment (a carapace of leaves) is “too heavy,” the second (a cloak made of succulents), “too bulky.” This leads to more thinking, replanning, and redoing for experiment No. 3…success: a little leaf suit. Now the lizard can enjoy being out in the sun in its new costume—until someone suggests going into the pool. Looks like it’s time for some more rethinking, replanning, and redoing. This gratifyingly engaging tale lets readers in on the fun of planning and discovery while emphasizing a little perseverance. The desert environment provides all manner of big fleshy leaves and cacti—plus lizards in sunglasses—to help inspire in the making of the sun suit.
A little imagination and then a plan and the lizards will tackle that next problem with gusto. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-76036-059-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Starfish Bay
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
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