The chaotic story of Snappsy the alligator continues (Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book!), 2016).
In this, the chicken narrator insinuates itself even further into Snappsy’s life, with a very clear motive: the chicken wants to be Snappsy’s BFF. In fact, in the chicken’s mind, they already are: “We met at a party. And now we do everything together.” Readers will guess from the illustrations—and it’s later confirmed in a hysterical outburst from Snappsy—that the chicken never left Snappsy’s house after inviting itself to his party in the last episode. Snappsy is the same reluctant subject, at the mercy of the chicken’s warped worldview no matter how much he tries to correct it: “Actually, I’m going into town. To run errands. By myself.” The chicken is not deterred, sure they are shopping for another party. That’s what BFFs do. They even have matching shirts, “Snappsy” and “Bert,” which prompts a dry but profound exchange: “You never told me you had a name,” wonders Snappsy. “You never asked,” replies Bert. Falatko and Miller brilliantly add depth to the characters’ story arc. Children gain insight into Bert’s motives and see what a difference Bert is making in Snappsy’s quiet life. Upon reconsideration, Snappsy invites Bert to a sleepover, and Bert enthusiastically hijacks the storyline again: “They had such a wonderful time that they decided Bert should move in.”
We can’t wait! (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-425-28865-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES
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Hee haw.
52
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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
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS
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