There are more than 150 kinds of ducks, divided into two types: diving ducks and dabbling ducks. Gibbons briefly describes and illustrates both kinds, then presents the lifecycle of the familiar mallard dabbling duck in greater detail. She explains the different ways of migration, the return to build nests, lay and incubate eggs, and hatch ducklings, which then grow to repeat the cycle. The last section discusses domesticated ducks and makes a case for protecting those in the wild. Gibbons provides detailed watercolors on every page with handsome portraits of many different ducks, labeled for identification of parts as well as types. The main text is placed on white space at the bottom, leaving room for the lovely drawings. While each picture does not fill the page, Gibbons's trademark pieces break through the borders and extend the scenes. One quibble: the duckling emerging from the egg appears to be fluffy and dry, while in reality a newly emerged duckling is slippery wet. A final page concludes with additional interesting facts about ducks. Young readers will enjoy this appealing introduction to the familiar waterfowl by the prolific science writer who has provided so many outstanding science titles. (Nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: March 15, 2001
ISBN: 0-8234-1567-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2001
A whimsically told, timely message of inclusivity with appeal to “every bunny.”
When bunny mittens mysteriously vanish in Rabbittown, a newcomer investigates.
A pleasant place where “every bunny knew every bunny, and every bunny was friends,” Rabbittown proves less than welcoming to Mr. Beagle when he arrives and opens a corner shop. Unsure of this new dog in town, bunnies avoid Mr. Beagle’s store, leaving him bored. Then bunny mittens disappear; “soon every bunny had lost a mitt or two.” Using his “good nose for sniffing out trouble,” helpful Mr. Beagle explores Rabbittown, encountering the same scent everywhere a mitten is missing. Following the scent, Mr. Beagle notices “something fishy” about one particular bunny, leading to a surprising resolution that raises town awareness. The deceptively simple text engages in clever wordplay, including repeated use of the phrase “every bunny,” suggesting Rabbittown may be a great place for bunnies but not for others. Amusing, tiny signs scattered throughout Rabbittown cheekily reinforce the pervasive bunny theme (“Lapin Dancing,” “Sadie Hopkins Dance,” “Hip Hop Class,” “Hare Salon”). Neatly rendered in precise, thin, black outlines, the illustrations reduce buildings, animals, and objects to one-dimensional, colorful, simple patterns. Teeny rabbits, distinguished only by their size, fur color, and apparel, populate the streets and shops of Rabbittown, inviting readers to join Mr. Beagle’s thorough exploration of “every bunny” for clues to solving this charming conundrum.
A whimsically told, timely message of inclusivity with appeal to “every bunny.” (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Jan. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-927917-31-2
Page Count: 44
Publisher: Running the Goat
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2020
A fluffy, cute early chapter-book series for strong readers.
Ballet class becomes a little bit easier with the help of the Ballet Bunnies in this new early chapter-book series.
Millie is delighted when her mother surprises her with ballet lessons for her sixth birthday. But after her first disastrous lesson Millie feels like a failure. That’s when she meets the four tiny, talking Ballet Bunnies who secretly live in the ballet studio. With encouragement from the bunnies and a welcoming new human friend, Millie finds the courage to keep dancing. The linear narration uses a wide vocabulary, suiting this title to strong transitioning readers rather than those still honing their foundational decoding skills. The predictable plot frames Millie’s struggle as a consequence of being a ballet newbie and having to deal with a mean classmate, completely avoiding the ballet teacher’s incompetence as perhaps the main contributor to Millie’s difficulties. The cheery pastel illustrations provide context as the story unfolds, although the characters, human and bunny alike, suffer from a shortage of expression and personality. The concluding glossary lacks a pronunciation guide for the French ballet terms, many of which are not actually used in the narrative text. Millie and her mother are depicted with black hair and light brown skin. The ballet teacher and most of Millie’s classmates have pale skin and various hair colors with the exception of Millie’s new friend, Samira, who has pink hair and light brown skin.
A fluffy, cute early chapter-book series for strong readers. (Fantasy. 7-9)Pub Date: March 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-30492-1
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 14, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2021
© Copyright 2026 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.
