Glorious images, a low-risk adventure, and a passion for nature should inspire readers to visit their local wildlife...
A lovable canine gets lost in the woods in this sequel from the team of Dworkin and Chelich (The Dog and the Jet Ski, 2016, etc.).
An Irish setter named Red is off on a hike with two friends, Colin and Kenny (one boy is white; the other is black). When Red chases a chipmunk off the trail, he gets separated from the boys. Luckily, an oriole offers to show him around the woods. Discovering that Red is hungry, the bird introduces him to a fox, who guides the dog through the wetlands, where they see more wildlife. Red takes directions through the prairie (meeting more creatures) back to the woods, where he begs for a sandwich from two young hikers. Kenny and Colin haven’t abandoned Red; they’re just collecting their canoe to get a better view of the landscape. Finally, the dog and the boys are reunited. Red’s dialogue with the animals dilutes the realism here. But the gorgeous photorealistic paintings, suitable for a naturalist’s guidebook, keep the story grounded. Some challenging vocabulary, including creature names and terms such as “quench” and “obedient,” makes this well-suited to independent readers in first through third grades. And the detailed pictures and measured pace will likely keep lap readers interested in Red’s escapades.
Glorious images, a low-risk adventure, and a passion for nature should inspire readers to visit their local wildlife preserves.Pub Date: May 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-692-07943-0
Page Count: 46
Publisher: Time Tunnel Media
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)
Pub Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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