Seven white mice, introduced inside the front cover, have taken up residence in an old doll house in the attic, but they wander through the big house below in search of treasure and food. As the reader approaches the exploration, he or she will open the heavy, card-stock pages from bottom to top and discover wonders not only of paper engineering but of collage and photography reminiscent of Walter Wick’s work. The first spread is on an antique sewing machine and sewing box: a jewel-like display of buttons, threads, and tools. Lifting the flaps sometimes reveals only more buttons, or a shadow; other times a little mouse or a bit of cheese is underneath. A tool box, a kitchen where pastry waits to be rolled out, the toy room, the study, and a lady’s dressing table are each and all feasts for the eyes. Most of the objects are quite old: a manual typewriter and rotary phone in the study, an antique Shalimar perfume bottle on the dressing table. The tools look deliciously worn and dirty, and the toys include wooden dominoes, Russian nesting dolls, and a Slinky. And what are the mice doing? Why, stealing tiny treasures to add to their doll house home. The last spread shows how a pocket watch has become a wall clock and playing cards new bedroom rugs. Small hands will delight in opening the small flaps, tracking the mouse activity, making sure they’ve found all seven, and seeing where things end up. A handwritten letter on the study’s desk indicates that the human inhabitants of the house have noticed their visitors and as the scavengers settle down for the night it seems so has the cat. Lots of fun, but maybe not for squeamish adults. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2002
ISBN: 1-929766-42-4
Page Count: 16
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2002
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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