In a sort of “queer eye for the straight sheep,” a mild-mannered shearer and his sheep-sheep show a trio of tough shearers how to get in touch with their stylish sides. Ratso, Big Bob and Bungo, and their sheepdogs Brute, Tiny and Fang, are taken aback, to say the least, when Shaun shows up with fedora-clad Pete, a sheep-herding sheep, whose polite way with his flock represents a radical and unwelcome new way of doing things. Ostracized from shearer society, Shaun practices his craft on Pete, whose new do draws all the other sheep to him, prompting him to open a salon. Soon, Brute, Tiny and Fang are sporting Shaun’s handiwork as well, and finally Ratso, Big Bob and Bungo all join in. As in the pair’s Diary of a Wombat (2003), the understated text gives the whimsical watercolor-and-pencil illustrations plenty of room to explore the inherent wackiness of the concept, as the gentle Shaun finds the right look for everyone, sheep, dog and shearer alike. It’s a sweetly fleecy tale of outsider-makes-good, the genially inevitable ending entirely satisfying. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2005
ISBN: 0-618-56862-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Stewart’s latest introduces readers to the habitats of several butterflies found in the U.S., and how people can have a negative impact on them. With its emphasis on conservation, this is more a starting point for generating interest than a source for research. General information is limited to the four life stages of a butterfly. A few brief sentences introduce and summarize the longer sidebar text about each butterfly. The first six focus on the insect’s fascinating eating habits—most eat only one plant type. The last five concentrate less on the species and more on the threat to its survival—pesticides, invasive species, private collections. Finally, readers learn the butterfly’s role in the habitat and are taught how to attract and protect local species. Gorgeous artwork shows up-close portraits of each butterfly, as well as a larger, detailed view of its habitat. Good observers will spot each butterfly, egg or caterpillar within the habitat. While the artwork is worth a look, it does not make up for the heavy-handed conservation message and lack of general information that plagues this text. (bibliography) (Nonfiction. 5-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 1-56145-357-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
A touching, beautifully illustrated story of greatest interest to those in the New York City area.
A pair of cardinals is separated and then reunited when their tree home is moved to New York City to serve as the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
The male cardinal, Red, and his female partner, Lulu, enjoy their home in a huge evergreen tree located in the front yard of a small house in a pleasant neighborhood. When the tree is cut down and hauled away on a truck, Lulu is still inside the tree. Red follows the truck into the city but loses sight of it and gets lost. The birds are reunited when Red finds the tree transformed with colored lights and serving as the Christmas tree in a complex of city buildings. When the tree is removed after Christmas, the birds find a new home in a nearby park. Each following Christmas, the pair visit the new tree erected in the same location. Attractive illustrations effectively handle some difficult challenges of dimension and perspective and create a glowing, magical atmosphere for the snowy Christmas trees. The original owners of the tree are a multiracial family with two children; the father is African-American and the mother is white. The family is in the background in the early pages, reappearing again skating on the rink at Rockefeller Center with their tree in the background.
A touching, beautifully illustrated story of greatest interest to those in the New York City area. (author’s note) (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7733-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
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