by Helen Hancocks ; illustrated by Helen Hancocks ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 8, 2016
The cat’s out of the bag, and it’s no mystery that plenty of readers will enjoy this book.
A dapper dandy of the feline variety solves a crime in the land of the stars.
Things have been altogether too easy for William, international cat of mystery, since he recovered that stolen French painting in his last adventure (William and the Missing Masterpiece, 2015). Little wonder that when he receives word that the statues for the Golden Cuckoo Awards have been stolen, he hops on the next plane bound for Hollywood. There he joins the lovely Audrey Mieowski and sets about solving the case. All the glitz and glamour of a bygone era come to the fore as William and his new friend track down clues and ultimately collar the jealous criminal behind it all. Hancocks’ signature style of pencil and gouache is at its best when rendering the golden age of the City of Angels, with its roadsters, kick lines, and elegant soirees. Kids will enjoy the easy mystery, though for all the visual pleasures, there are decidedly fewer in-jokes for adults to enjoy here than there were in William’s last caper.
The cat’s out of the bag, and it’s no mystery that plenty of readers will enjoy this book. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7636-8913-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Templar/Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
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by Helen Hancocks ; illustrated by Helen Hancocks
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by Craig Smith ; illustrated by Katz Cowley ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2010
Hee haw.
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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
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by Craig Smith ; illustrated by Katz Cowley
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by Jennifer Ward ; illustrated by Steve Jenkins ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2014
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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by Jennifer Ward ; illustrated by Alexander Vidal
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by Jennifer Ward ; illustrated by Diana Sudyka
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