BINGO EXPLORES THE FARM

Name: BINGO EXPLORES THE FARM
Author: Julia King
ISBN: 978-0983982708

by Julia King ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2012

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Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

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A cat named Bingo searches for adventure and finds a lesson in self-discovery—as well as a new friend—in King’s thoughtful picture book.

The story begins with Bingo introducing himself as an explorer who is searching for a way to repair a tiny, rusted car so that he can drive it around the farm that he lives on and, presumably, get into some mischief. Bright photographs of Bingo, a real cat with gray stripes, climbing all over the cat-sized car fill the pages as we see Bingo unsuccessfully inspect the engine, steering wheel and gas pedal. Just as Bingo’s chance at adventure seems to diminish, his best friend Jimmy, a yellowish-orange cat, reluctantly agrees to try and get the car started. But Jimmy wants to be in charge, and he snaps at Bingo for getting in the way. Rather than fight, Bingo abandons the car and explores the farm on his own. He wanders into an empty barn and has a look around, trying to figure out what sorts of animals live there by examining the clues left behind. Young readers will have fun helping Bingo decipher the clues, and they’ll probably relate to how Bingo feels when he finally gets a close-up view of the horses who live in the barn. Bingo likes the sweet smell of the horses, and the long whiskers on their noses, but their enormous heads block out the sun, making him feel tiny. The photos emphasize the size difference and give readers a cat’s-eye view of the enormous animals. Just as Bingo begins to worry that the horses may harm him, he hears a familiar voice calling; it’s the little boy who lives on the farm and, like Bingo, he’s looking for a playmate. The boy knows just what kind of adventure Bingo has been looking for, and Bingo realizes that a true friend isn’t someone who bosses you around or who makes you feel small. King’s universal message comes through in the numerous photos, showing Jimmy snapping at Bingo, Bingo’s hair standing up when he realizes how powerful the horses are and, at the end, the boy gently petting Bingo. Curious readers will enjoy the extras at the end that invite them to go back and take a closer look at hidden details in the photos. Bingo leads young readers on a farm adventure that does not disappoint.

Pub Date: May 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-0983982708

Page Count: 41

Publisher: King

Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2012

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S SPRINGTIME

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2018

Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come.

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Little Blue Truck and his pal Toad meet friends old and new on a springtime drive through the country.

This lift-the-flap, interactive entry in the popular Little Blue Truck series lacks the narrative strength and valuable life lessons of the original Little Blue Truck (2008) and its sequel, Little Blue Truck Leads the Way (2009). Both of those books, published for preschoolers rather than toddlers, featured rich storylines, dramatic, kinetic illustrations, and simple but valuable life lessons—the folly of taking oneself too seriously, the importance of friends, and the virtue of taking turns, for example. At about half the length and with half as much text as the aforementioned titles, this volume is a much quicker read. Less a story than a vernal celebration, the book depicts a bucolic drive through farmland and encounters with various animals and their young along the way. Beautifully rendered two-page tableaux teem with butterflies, blossoms, and vibrant pastel, springtime colors. Little Blue greets a sheep standing in the door of a barn: “Yoo-hoo, Sheep! / Beep-beep! / What’s new?” Folding back the durable, card-stock flap reveals the barn’s interior and an adorable set of twin lambs. Encounters with a duck and nine ducklings, a cow with a calf, a pig with 10 (!) piglets, a family of bunnies, and a chicken with a freshly hatched chick provide ample opportunity for counting and vocabulary work.

Uncomplicated fun that sets readers up for the earlier, more-complicated books to come. (Board book. 1-4)