This elegantly simple and informative story chronicles a year in the life of a family of trumpeter swans. From the moment baby trumpeter Ko-hoh and his siblings are born, their parents protect them. Throughout spring, summer and early fall the young swans learn how to feed and fly, in preparation for winter migration. But one icy dawn, a hungry grizzly attacks the sleeping Ko-hoh, who is in serious danger until his parents rescue him with their powerful wings. As ice forms on the lake, the family heads south. The straightforward text explains the trumpeter swan’s annual cycle in the friendly context of Ko-hoh’s family, while Rodanas’s splendid double-page, colored-pencil–over–watercolor-wash illustrations provide a visual backdrop. Tracking Ko-hoh from hatching to full-flight migration, the illustrations allow readers to view the swans from a variety of perspectives, including inside the nest, lake level, subaquatic and aerial, while backgrounds reflect the changing seasons. A successful introduction. (author’s note) (Informational picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-7614-5523-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A heartwarming reminder to embrace change.
A dog who belongs to an expecting couple adjusts to home life as a new baby arrives.
Pepita, the family pet, is beloved and still so little they call her Bebita (baby girl). But Pepita’s world is changing as her Mami and Papi await the arrival of a baby. Pepita is used to being spoiled “with treats and tummy rubs and my favorite fluffy pillow….But lately, things have been changing.” As the home gets new additions like a crib and gifts from the grandparents, Pepita feels left out, no longer the center of attention. Once the baby arrives, Pepita tries to adjust but is kept up at night by crying and doesn’t get playtime like before. But Pepita’s sweetness shines through as she finds ways to help out and bond with the new baby. “I feel so proud to be the big sister,” she concludes. The book is sprinkled with Spanish phrases, reflecting that Pepita is part of a Latine household; readers unfamiliar with Spanish will find the glossary helpful. Illustrations are warm and cuddly throughout, and the story is highly relatable; soon-to-be big siblings fretting over a new arrival will find it especially comforting. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A heartwarming reminder to embrace change. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9780593566985
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
A snow-covered countryside may look barren of life, but Stewart’s quiet text takes readers under the blanket of white to “a hidden world” where ladybugs sleep en masse and voles tunnel from tree to tree, where a wood frog freezes safely solid and bluegills and waterboatmen share frigid waters, where a turtle lies buried in mud and “even on the coldest winter days, red-spotted newts dodge and dart, whiz and whirl just below the ice.” Bergum’s equally quiet watercolors spread across the pages in panels that offer cross-sections and magnified details to give readers glimpses of the world beneath the snow. Their precision lends a dignity and beauty even to a sleeping centipede and a barbeled carp. Readers will come away with an appreciation for the adaptability and endurance of the animal world. (Informational picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-56145-493-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2009
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