Best friends Richard and Ben are supposed to be nice to new kid Patrick, but it's hard—he's a know-it-all in a suit, bow tie, and shiny shoes; and a pest, the kind of kid who gleefully turns earthworms to mush with his squirt gun. All three are in Mrs. Zookey's second grade (scene of Itchy Richard, 1991), where the daily high point is ``Yummies and Yuckies'' (Show and Tell). After the boys find a stranded bat and share all kinds of scary misconceptions about it, Patrick gets in trouble, spends recess inside reading about bats, and pairs up with Dawn Marie, who has real bats at home in a shed, for a report for Endangered Animal Month. Patrick's research gains him acceptance (sort of), while readers learn some bat facts and everyone has a good time. A handful of realistic b&w illustrations depict lively kids and meek-looking bats. Address to write for information on bat houses. (Fiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 18, 1994
ISBN: 0-395-67063-2
Page Count: 70
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1994
At ``Step 2'' in the useful ``Step into Reading'' series: an admirably clear, well-balanced presentation that centers on wolves' habits and pack structure. Milton also addresses their endangered status, as well as their place in fantasy, folklore, and the popular imagination. Attractive realistic watercolors on almost every page. Top-notch: concise, but remarkably extensive in its coverage. A real bargain. (Nonfiction/Easy reader. 6-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-679-91052-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
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