The true natures of these three characters shine as they problem-solve and share fairly.
How would you share a blueberry pie?
Readers of this second book in the series learn more about Really Bird, Pup, and Cat when they have a pie picnic in the park. True to their name, Really Bird is really hungry and really wants a piece of the blueberry pie now. After a quick argument about who is better at serving pie, Cat challenges Dog to cut three pieces that are all the same size, and that’s when things become really complicated. Should everyone get the same size piece? After all, they are all different sizes. But Really Bird is “REALLY STARVING.” Who should get the biggest piece? And what happens when one piece is messier than another or is missing part of the crust? Luckily, Pup keeps trying and finally finds a solution that makes everyone happy. There’s even one piece left over that Really Bird is really happy to share with new park friends, a rabbit, a squirrel, and a mouse. Brightly colored speech bubbles and cartoon illustrations with minimal details against a neutral background make reading both the text and the illustrations easy for new readers. The book closes with discussion questions about what to do in a real-life situation involving cutting slices of pie or cake and what to do when sharing isn’t “purr-fect,” as Cat would put it. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
The true natures of these three characters shine as they problem-solve and share fairly. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: April 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-63655-019-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Red Comet Press
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind.
The cool beans again step up to do a timorous fellow legume a fava…this time at the pool.
Will a rash decision to tackle the multistory super-slide lead to another embarrassing watery fail for our shy protagonist? Nope, for up the stairs right behind comes a trio of cool beans, each a different type and color, all clad in nothing but dark shades. They make an offer: “It’s not as scary if you go with friends!” As the knobby nerd explains once the thrilling ride down is done, “They all realized that I just needed some encouragement and support.” Just to make sure that both cool and uncool readers get the message, the narrator lets us know that “there are plenty of kind folks who have my back. They’re always there when I need them.” The beany bonhomie doesn’t end at the bottom of the slide, with all gliding down to the shallow end of the pool (“3 INCHES. NO DIVING”) for a splashy finale. This latest early reader starring characters from John and Oswald’s immensely popular Food Group series will be a hit with fans. Fun accessories, such as a bean who rocks pink cat-eye frames, add some pizzazz to the chromatically and somatotypically varied cast.
Another quirky take on the series theme that it’s cool to be kind. (Easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2024
ISBN: 9780063329560
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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