A young rider imagines the horses she’ll have when she grows up in this charming equestrian alphabet. To introduce each letter, Haas and Apple (Runaway Radish, not reviewed) highlight different horse breeds and horse-related words. The opening spread, for example, shows “Spotted Appaloosas”—with the “A” highlighted in bold—next to “Arabian steeds.” Later, the girl dreams that “[Her] Lippizans will perform lively leaps, the lightest of lengthenings, lovely levades.” For the letter “X,” Haas recalls the Greek general Xenophon, “who wrote the first text about horses.” Says the narrator, “I’ll examine it often for expert advice.” Rendered in colored pencils, and defined by soft yet studied strokes, Apple’s illustrations portray the animals’ strength and beauty. With centerpiece sketches often flanked by smaller drawings, there is much to admire: a double-page spread for “Q” and “R” shows the narrator touching a blue ribbon to the neck of her “Quarter horse”; seven smaller drawings show them “barrel racing,” “reining” and “calf roping” in a rodeo. Haas’s “More About Horses” section provides detail, highlighting in bold print the breeds and terminology mentioned in the story. While sure to entice horse lovers, Haas and Apple’s offering will also appeal to youngsters as they explore unfamiliar territory in a well-worn format. A fitting addition to the creator’s equine oeuvre; a fine supplement to the ABC canon. (Picture book. 5-10)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-688-17880-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2001
Rocket’s fans should enjoy this book geared directly to children who, like their hero, are tackling the hard work of reading.
The irresistible, black-and-white puppy named Rocket moves into the early-reader market following his wildly successful picture-book learning experiences, How Rocket Learned to Read (2010) and Rocket Writes a Story (2012), and a board book, Rocket’s Mighty Words (2013).
This title, part of the Step into Reading series, sports a circular logo on the front with Rocket and his friend and mentor, a yellow bird, appealing to Rocket’s established fan base. In this simple story for children who are just beginning to read a few words on their own, Rocket finds several items and is told repeatedly by the yellow bird and other friends to “Drop it, Rocket.” The pup obeys until he finds a red boot, which he wants to keep. The stereotypical wise owl brings in a book as bait, solving the minor problem. Basic words are written on cards and added to a “word tree” at the beginning and ending, an obvious reading lesson that is also a perfect complement to Rocket’s earlier picture books. Perhaps due to the severely limited vocabulary imposed by the form, this story is less whimsical than Rocket’s earlier outings, but thanks to that limited vocabulary, it should become a go-to book for adults working with children just venturing into independent reading.
Rocket’s fans should enjoy this book geared directly to children who, like their hero, are tackling the hard work of reading. (Early reader. 5-8)Pub Date: July 8, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-385-37247-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2014
Hilarious. How will Yam and Donkey top this? (Picture book. 5-8)
Ewe will love it! (You will too.)
Bell introduces readers to a humorous trio: the studious, bespectacled Yam, the slow-witted Donkey, and the titular, and mostly silent, Ewe. Donkey kicks off the foolishness in initially mistaking the anthropomorphic tuber and the female sheep for fellow donkeys. When Yam corrects these errors and explains that “this is Ewe,” the snowball of wordplay begins its long descent down the hill of wackiness. Along the way, readers learn what a homonym is. Bell fits a lot into the story, making good use of speech bubbles and sequential panels across spreads of the picture book. She also keeps the humor interlaced with moments of learning that play well with the page turns. The artwork is bold, with thick, black lines and bright, simple colors, so it will play well to the back of a storytime room or classroom. Some adults may find the multiple voices to be a challenge as a solo reader, but it’s well worth the effort, as the combination of language and images will have young readers in fits of giggles. The artwork beautifully conveys the zany hijinks. Following the pupils in Donkey’s googly eyes as it thinks about each new concept is a silly joy in itself.
Hilarious. How will Yam and Donkey top this? (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Nov. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-52611-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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