Martin (The Honey Hunters, 1992, etc.) retells an old, old trickster story from the Ngoni people of southern Tanzania with great good humor and a story-teller style highly appropriate for a tale from the oral tradition: “Listen! / There is a lake in Africa, called Nyasa. / Mmm, it is full of blue cool water.” and “Hm, tch, tch, it started like this . . .” Words in Kiswahili, the language most spoken in Tanzania, are translated immediately in text, thus proving to be no problem for readers, from Chungu (black ant), Chura (frog) and Kobi (tortoise) in the appealing title page to the final line, Kwa heri ya kuonana, wanangu (“so long, children, till we meet again.”) The personal, one-on-one tone expands deliciously in luscious, lavish watercolors depicting what happens when two boastful bullies, Elephant and Hippopotamus, declare their superiority over the small animals. Warthog calls a meeting to find a way to control the two behemoths; big-brained Tortoise comes up with a tricky tug-of-war that pits one against the other unbeknownst to either. The battle is joined in its traditional way: Elephant has one end, Hippopotamus the other. Tortoise ends the tug by cutting the rope, leaving the bullies questioning—but not denigrating—his strength. What makes this version particularly appealing is the panels of illustration, boarders run the length of two pages, the jungle scene takes up three quarters of those pages with the text set out on white space. There’s plenty to look at in the highly detailed vignettes and abundant color helps to set the mood. Utterly charming and a great read-aloud. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0506-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
Rylant (Henry and Mudge and the Sneaky Crackers, 1998, etc.) slips into a sentimental mode for this latest outing of the boy and his dog, as she sends Mudge and Henry and his parents off on a camping trip. Each character is attended to, each personality sketched in a few brief words: Henry's mother is the camping veteran with outdoor savvy; Henry's father doesn't know a tent stake from a marshmallow fork, but he's got a guitar for campfire entertainment; and the principals are their usual ready-for-fun selves. There are sappy moments, e.g., after an evening of star- gazing, Rylant sends the family off to bed with: ``Everyone slept safe and sound and there were no bears, no scares. Just the clean smell of trees . . . and wonderful green dreams.'' With its nice tempo, the story is as toasty as its campfire and swaddled in Stevenson's trusty artwork. (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-689-81175-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1998
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader!
Fun with friends makes for a great day.
Norbit, a salmon-colored worm with a pink kerchief, joyfully greets the day and everyone he encounters. “Hello, friends! It’s time for fun with the sun! Let’s play!” He and his menagerie of forest pals—including the sun, who grows limbs and descends from the sky—exuberantly engage in various forms of physical activity such as jumping, going down a slide, spinning around, and watching the clouds go by. Young readers will readily relate, as these are games that most children are familiar with. As day turns to night, Norbit says farewell to Sun and welcomes Moon with an invitation to continue the fun. Watkins has created a vivid world of movement and merriment. Her illustrations feature bright bursts of color that match the energy of the text, with most sentences ending in an exclamation point. The author/illustrator incorporates many elements that make for an ideal early-reading experience (despite the use of a contraction or two): art free from clutter, text consisting of words with only one or two syllables, and repetition and recurring bits, such as a continued game of hide-and-seek with Sun. Inspired by never-before-seen sketches from the Dr. Seuss Collection archives at the University of California San Diego, this is the first title for Seuss Studios, a new imprint for original stories from “emerging authors and illustrators” who “honor Seuss’s hallmark spirit of creativity and imagination.”
Say hello to a relatable and rewarding early reader! (author's note) (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9780593646212
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Seuss Studios
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2024
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