Once again, an illustrator finds a novel way to rehearse familiar animals. The blonde tot here imagines her fubsy big dog as a horse pulling her cart, an elephant she can ride, a lion to be tracked, and more; alternate spreads depict first her play activity with the dog, then the scene she is imagining. But the story of Red Riding Hood seems too real (`` `What big teeth you have!' I say. I wish I hadn't come today...I wish I'd stayed at home to play'') and the last of Lacome's boldly childlike illustrations shows her there, ``with Fred,'' who is getting a hug as his very own self. Simple but thoughtfully constructed; just right for the youngest. (Picture book. 2-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 1994
ISBN: 1-56402-318-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The African savanna is the setting for this lighthearted story about new experiences. Meto is a small boy who lives with his family and animals in a very small village. A tourist family comes to visit and Meto thinks they look funny wearing all those clothes and using their photographic machines. But he shows his goat to the little girl visitor, who, it seems, must love animals since she has one in her arms wearing a bright ribbon around its neck. After the visit, Meto discovers that the little girl has left her animal behind and he runs to catch up with the family. He asks the hippopotami, the elephants, and the giraffes if they have seen them and each asks to see what Meto is carrying. Meto rides on the giraffe’s back with all of the animals hurrying behind and finally, just before the family boards the plane, he returns the animal to the little girl who cries out, “ ‘My bear! My bear!’ ” In return, she gives Meto her red hair ribbon for his goat. “Bear! That must be the name of the little animal!” “ ‘The first bear in all of Africa,’ ” says the lion cub. “ ‘How extraordinary!’ they all marvel.” Soft, gentle watercolors exactly suit the story and highlight the charming denizens that Meto meets on his journey. The tourists and Meto’s family are depicted in a friendly atmosphere, with all of them posing for a photo before departing. A satisfying idea that will delight young children and a text that adults will not mind reading again, as they surely will be asked to do. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: April 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-399-23485-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2001
An amusing if slight addition to beach reading.
Lizzie’s companion is a big, blue inflatable seal named Lou.
The water toy is bigger than the impish, little white girl, but Lizzie manages to carry and drag Lou Seal out of the family’s beach trailer down to the shore. There’s one problem: the seal has lost its “puff.” Lizzie never noticed that the animal has been pierced by a sharp piece of wood. She was busy pulling her polka-dot flip-flop, named Dottie One, off a wad of gum stuck to the boardwalk. As Lizzie pulls Lou Seal along, other items puncture her exterior: “Purple shells! Seaglass! Starfish!” When Lizzie is ready to swim, the toy looks deflated, but the resilient girl knows what to do. She drags the toy back to the trailer, discovers holes, patches them with stickers, and blows Lou Seal up. Since she has lost Dottie Two in the sea, she finds her flippers and carries the seal back to the waves, proudly showing off their matching accessories. Lizzie’s independence is refreshing, but some readers will note the absence of an adult supervising swimming in such heavy surf. Mixed-media pictures are at their most exciting when painterly waves crash against the shore, and onomatopoeic words in display type (“step thwack” when Lizzie has only one flip-flop, and “scooch scooch scooch” as Lou Seal travels through the sand) add to the fun in reading aloud.
An amusing if slight addition to beach reading. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: April 4, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5107-0630-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 13, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
