As a young boy searches through all the paraphernalia in his tackle box for the one thing to ensure a good day’s fishing, he explains the purpose of each item: a spinner to catch yellow perch; a phoebe spoon for pumpkinseed sunfish; plugs for largemouth bass; and flies for his favorite fish, brook trout. The handsome page design uses lots of white space to highlight the gear that offsets the beautiful double spreads of fish. The first-person voice and comments to the reader (“hooks—aren’t they cool?”) create an immediacy akin to looking over the boy’s shoulder, especially since he’s not pictured until the last spread—sporting the secret thing he needs for good fishing. Several pages earlier, sharp-eyed readers will see the clue. An inventive and enticing approach to a sport and nature topic cast in a narrative. The personal tone and boyish charm will lure kids to fishing and grandfathers will love it. Prosek is an established adult author and expert on fishing. (Four-page lure-and-fly glossary) (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-689-85327-0
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
For fans of Evert and Breiehagen’s Wish Book series.
Anja and her dog, Birki, do their best to get to a Christmas party in a frozen Nordic landscape.
Anja wishes she had a dog sled to harness Birki to in order to get to the party. The next morning, her cousin Erik appears with his dog sled and an offer to take her there. Lost in a blizzard, they encounter talking wolves who take them to a tent where they can spend the night. A baby polar bear named Tiny appears, separated from his mother. The following day takes them all on an adventure through glaciers and fjords, past an ice castle, and finally to Tiny’s mother and to the party. This digitally produced book is illustrated with photographs that capture the Nordic setting. Unfortunately, the overall effect is weirdly flat, with elements awkwardly set together in images that lack depth. A polar bear perches awkwardly on top of oddly scaled pack ice; Anja and Erik spend a night in the ice castle in niches chiseled into the wall, but they seem oddly disconnected from it. The book has an old-fashioned, European feel; the white, blond children’s red caps and traditional clothing stand out against the dim, bluish winter light. But the wooden, overlong text does little to cultivate the magical fantasy feeling that it’s aiming for.
For fans of Evert and Breiehagen’s Wish Book series. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-6566-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
The busy, buzzy beastie introduced in Hi! Fly Guy (2005) accompanies his best bud Buzz to school, and enters fly heaven. Which is to say, he discovers the lunchroom run by the esteemed Roz, a fine cook who isn’t above rewarding a bug who can say her name with a delicious cup of chicken bones and fish heads in sour milk. But when Roz is fired in favor of Miss Muzzle—whose idea of a nourishing lunch is burnt peas and turnips—it’s up to the resourceful Fly Guy to return the favor. Arnold’s pop-eyed, big-headed cartoon figures provide the proper comedic air for this brief episode, which is arranged in chapters and wrapped in an eye-catching, glittery cover. Fledgling readers will cheer the intrepid insect on as he engineers Roz’s return, and is last seen basking in a redolent bowl of garbage soup. Keep on buzzing, Fly Guy. (Easy reader. 6-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-439-63904-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2006
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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