Simple, child-savvy language and painterly, frame-worthy illustrations that dog-loving adults will appreciate, too.
In this delightful children’s picture book by a veteran educator, a dog’s best friend has fins, not fur.
A lively Irish setter’s frolicsome day at the beach would be even better with a buddy to share it with. On this sunny, lazy day, silky-coated Red is on his own, nosing at seashells, chasing sea gulls and pelicans, and sailboats, small planes and the rolling waves. Red doesn’t have anyone with whom to share his fun. When he sees something leaping in and out of the waves, he’s intrigued—as young readers will be when they turn the next few pages and consider the author’s teasing possibilities, vividly illustrated by Chelich: “A swimmer?” “A shark or swordfish?” “A sea monster?” No, it’s a frisky dolphin who turns out to be as curious about Red as the pup is about him. In no time, the odd couple is frolicking in the water and playing Frisbee “keep away” until the sun goes down. The two new best friends look forward to the next day so that they can do it all over again. Dworkin’s simple, uncloying language is pitch-perfect, as are the beautiful illustrations by gifted artist Chelich, who delights the eye with soft-textured, deftly observed images of animals and objects in a natural setting. Ideal for children pre-K through the third grade, this charming dog-meets-dolphin picture book finds simplicity and heart in both words and illustrations.
Simple, child-savvy language and painterly, frame-worthy illustrations that dog-loving adults will appreciate, too.Pub Date: June 30, 2014
ISBN: 978-1494702540
Page Count: 36
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character.
One of Boynton's signature characters celebrates Halloween.
It's Halloween time, and Pookie the pig is delighted. Mom helps the little porker pick out the perfect Halloween costume, a process that spans the entire board book. Using an abcb rhyme scheme, Boynton dresses Pookie in a series of cheerful costumes, including a dragon, a bunny, and even a caped superhero. Pookie eventually settles on the holiday classic, a ghost, by way of a bedsheet. Boynton sprinkles in amusing asides to her stanzas as Pookie offers costume commentary ("It's itchy"; "It's hot"; "I feel silly"). Little readers will enjoy the notion of transforming themselves with their own Halloween costumes while reading this book, and a few parents may get some ideas as well. Boynton's clean, sharp illustrations are as good as ever. This is Pookie's first holiday title, but readers will surely welcome more.
A pleasant holiday spent with a perfectly charming character. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-553-51233-5
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Robin Corey/Random
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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