Environmentalism for the nursery.
Mr. King—a vaguely lion-ish animal who stands upright—builds and uses an invention that harms his ecosystem in several ways. He quickly agrees with his friends’ concerns and creates another that is beloved by all.
“Mr. King likes flowers. He likes that they smell good and look pretty. So when he discovers one that has been chewed by a caterpillar, he is NOT happy.” Crayon-outlined, tawny-tinted Mr. King, whose leonine ears sit astride an orange crown (possibly made of crepe paper), has an annoyed expression as he views a large chunk eaten from a green flower bigger than his head. Little ones will likely remember the cuddly-looking caterpillar on the title page, contentedly munching. The next page shows Mr. King tinkering with parts, his tongue out in concentration: “He quickly builds himself a Caterpillar-Catcher. Mr. King likes machines, too.” As he zooms about on his tanklike machine, smiling and brandishing a butterfly net, dark puffs of watercolor smog fill the air. Various woodland and meadow friends, all with equally sweet and comical demeanors, work to apprehend their friend. A double-page spread fills with the reasons why Mr. King needs to change his ways, including the harm done by his machine as well as the importance of caterpillars. The text is simple, straightforward, and respectful, and the artwork is joyous and original.
Environmentalism for the nursery. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-77138-021-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery.
A troop of cats traverse a spooky landscape as they make their way to a party hosted by ghosts.
Each double-page spread shows the felines’ encounters with the likes of an owl, jack-o’-lanterns or a bat. One or two of these creepy meetings may be too abstract for the youngest readers, as the cats hear eerie noises with no discernible source on the page. The text, which consists of one rhyming couplet per scene, mostly scans despite a couple of wobbles: “Five black cats get a bit of a scare / As the flip-flapping wings of a bat fill the air.” The sleek, slightly retro art, likely created using a computer, depicts the cats cavorting at night through a shadowy cityscape, the countryside and a haunted house; they may scare some toddlers and delight others. A brighter color palette would have given the project a friendlier, more universal appeal. Luckily, the well-lit, final party scene provides a playful conclusion.
For toddlers unafraid of typical Halloween imagery. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58925-611-8
Page Count: 22
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
Little Owl loves the night forest. He can’t imagine a better place. He glides from friend to friend, watching and listening....
A graceful bedtime story celebrates the beauty found in night.
Little Owl loves the night forest. He can’t imagine a better place. He glides from friend to friend, watching and listening. Hedgehog snuffles for mushrooms. Turtle hides in her shell as fireflies dot the sky. But try as he might, Little Owl cannot wake Bear inside the Grumbly Cave. He snores soundly. But what if the bear has never seen stars? As morning draws near, Little Owl settles in on his branch and whispers softly to his mother, “[T]ell me again how night ends.” “Spiderwebs turn to silver threads,” she begins. “The sky brightens from black to blue, blue to red, red to gold.” But Little Owl does not hear. His wide, innocent green eyes have already shut tight. Srinivasan’s picture-book debut beckons readers to follow this curiously adorable creature through the sky. The moon and stars illuminate the dark background, and a flat palette of black, greens and browns blankets the forest in quiet stillness. More lyrical than linear, the story flits from one animal to the next. But readers won’t mind.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-670-01295-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2011
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