Cleverly designed and effectively told, this dog adoption story will be a welcome addition to school and child care...
A neglected puppy finds a home in this picture book based on a true story.
Taking the structure of a scrapbook, the book uses the voice of Larry, the titular pup, to describe how he is rescued, brought to a shelter and a veterinarian, and eventually adopted. Each page features a color photo of Larry (a Pomeranian mix, judging by the pictures) designed to look like a snapshot taped into the book, plus Larry’s description of what’s going on in the photo: “I was very weak, tired, and hungry. I was so afraid that I even lost my fur!” The book doesn’t dwell on Larry’s sad history but instead tells the story of his happier present and hopeful future, with many pictures of the photogenic protagonist playing outside, being carried about in backpacks and travel cases, and wearing different outfits: “I still don’t have enough fur on my back, so I have to wear clothes most of the time.” Larry concludes his story with a plea to help his friends who remain at the shelter. Doubtless there are some readers with hearts of stone or deep-seated aversions to tiny dogs who will find this book unappealing; however, the remaining 99 percent of the world’s population will take one look at the picture of Larry in his pajamas and find that it alone is well worth the price of admission. The rest of the book is worthwhile, too, simply but effectively narrated in Larry’s voice and supporting a mission—animal rescue and adoption—few can fault. Kaladeen explains that this book, her first, was written in part to raise money for animal shelters, specifically “to pay for veterinary care that would otherwise be unavailable,” so readers can be assured that there is action behind the friendly words and cute pictures. Adoption isn’t for all families, she hastens to explain, especially when it comes to high-needs pets like Larry. Still, “most rescue animals just need love and a home,” both of which, by the end of the book, Larry has found.
Pub Date: June 24, 2014
ISBN: 978-1492814504
Page Count: 36
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Jan. 23, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
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