by Janet Lawson & illustrated by Janet Lawson ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2002
Audrey wants to go to India. But Barbara, her cat, isn’t quite as enthusiastic. “Will I have to get off my pillow?” she asks. Still, the faithful feline sticks by her side as Audrey unveils her plan in this optimistic ode to friendship and the power of the imagination. Witty watercolors add depth to Lawson’s picture-book debut, which is written entirely in dialogue. One illustration, for example, shows Audrey, with spindly legs and oversize head, mounting her bicycle while Barbara waits in the doorway. “ ‘We have a long way to go. India is on the other side of the world.’ / ‘But what about the ocean?’ asked Barbara. / ‘What ocean?’ ” On the next page, Audrey and Barbara consult a globe. “ ‘That one,” said Barbara. ‘It’s between us and India.’ / ‘Oh,’ said Audrey.” The back-and-forth banter establishes Audrey as the visionary adventurer and Barbara as the voice of reason (and always looking for a nap). Undaunted, the heroine suits up for a swim across the sea; attempts to turn her bathtub into a boat; then outfits it with wheels from an old baby buggy. As she rolls it out the door, Barbara asks what will happen if the wind stops blowing and they get tired of rowing. “We’ll be stuck in the middle of the ocean,” she says. For the first time, optimistic Audrey contemplates defeat. But Barbara soon buoys her spirit, suggesting, “We could ask a whale for a two.” “That’s a great idea,” answers Audrey. In the end, the two set sail (Audrey’s outfitted the rig with Barbara’s favorite pillow) and end up on elephants in front of the Taj Mahal. Of course. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: May 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-689-83896-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2002
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by Craig Smith ; illustrated by Katz Cowley ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2010
Hee haw.
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The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
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by Jennifer Ward ; illustrated by Steve Jenkins ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2014
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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