A relatable canine protagonist, mild action, and a well-crafted message of compassionate animal advocacy.
A shelter dog takes matters into her own paws and finds the perfect home.
In this illustrated book for grade-school readers by photographer, writer, and animal advocate Blake, a German shepherd pup, the smallest in her litter, yearns for a loving home. But for one reason or another, her adoptions from a Florida shelter keep falling through, earning her the name Gypsy from shelter caretakers “since she couldn’t seem to settle in one place.” (A side note: The author’s well-meaning usage of gypsy here is clear; however, the word has increasingly been dropped from public usage due to its historic application as a pejorative for the Roma people.) When Gypsy is finally adopted, the circumstances are unhappy. She is tied up outside in the hot sun all day, an unloved watchdog. Gypsy escapes, ending up on an ocean pier where anglers dock their boats. A young man named Charlie spots the hungry pup, and before giving her a sandwich, offers his hand to sniff. Gypsy’s reaction is one of several simple, evocative passages that deepen the narrative: “He had a nice smell. It was clean and honest, like the sea.” Gypsy later repays Charlie’s kindness. Between two nicely calibrated action sequences, the author underscores Charlie’s compassionate nature when, during Gypsy’s first boat ride, he gently calms her initial anxiety, letting her know that she can trust him to keep her safe. When Charlie anchors the boat at an island, readers are offered a memorable word picture of “twisted roots of mangrove trees spread into the water, like the fingers of ancient wizards.” The author’s scene-setting and clearly defined characters are adeptly reflected in colorful images by veteran children’s author/illustrator Dey, with the appealing rendering of the German shepherd pup at their center.
A relatable canine protagonist, mild action, and a well-crafted message of compassionate animal advocacy.Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-57-886306-1
Page Count: 38
Publisher: Malakie Press
Review Posted Online: Aug. 10, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends
Gerald the elephant learns a truth familiar to every preschooler—heck, every human: “Waiting is not easy!”
When Piggie cartwheels up to Gerald announcing that she has a surprise for him, Gerald is less than pleased to learn that the “surprise is a surprise.” Gerald pumps Piggie for information (it’s big, it’s pretty, and they can share it), but Piggie holds fast on this basic principle: Gerald will have to wait. Gerald lets out an almighty “GROAN!” Variations on this basic exchange occur throughout the day; Gerald pleads, Piggie insists they must wait; Gerald groans. As the day turns to twilight (signaled by the backgrounds that darken from mauve to gray to charcoal), Gerald gets grumpy. “WE HAVE WASTED THE WHOLE DAY!…And for WHAT!?” Piggie then gestures up to the Milky Way, which an awed Gerald acknowledges “was worth the wait.” Willems relies even more than usual on the slightest of changes in posture, layout and typography, as two waiting figures can’t help but be pretty static. At one point, Piggie assumes the lotus position, infuriating Gerald. Most amusingly, Gerald’s elephantine groans assume weighty physicality in spread-filling speech bubbles that knock Piggie to the ground. And the spectacular, photo-collaged images of the Milky Way that dwarf the two friends makes it clear that it was indeed worth the wait.
A lesson that never grows old, enacted with verve by two favorite friends . (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-9957-1
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again.
Cece loves asking “why” and “what if.”
Her parents encourage her, as does her science teacher, Ms. Curie (a wink to adult readers). When Cece and her best friend, Isaac, pair up for a science project, they choose zoology, brainstorming questions they might research. They decide to investigate whether dogs eat vegetables, using Cece’s schnauzer, Einstein, and the next day they head to Cece’s lab (inside her treehouse). Wearing white lab coats, the two observe their subject and then offer him different kinds of vegetables, alone and with toppings. Cece is discouraged when Einstein won’t eat them. She complains to her parents, “Maybe I’m not a real scientist after all….Our project was boring.” Just then, Einstein sniffs Cece’s dessert, leading her to try a new way to get Einstein to eat vegetables. Cece learns that “real scientists have fun finding answers too.” Harrison’s clean, bright illustrations add expression and personality to the story. Science report inserts are reminiscent of The Magic Schoolbus books, with less detail. Biracial Cece is a brown, freckled girl with curly hair; her father is white, and her mother has brown skin and long, black hair; Isaac and Ms. Curie both have pale skin and dark hair. While the book doesn’t pack a particularly strong emotional or educational punch, this endearing protagonist earns a place on the children’s STEM shelf.
A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again. (glossary) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: June 19, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-249960-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2018
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