Pearl the rabbit and Wagner the mouse continue to develop the friendship introduced in the first volume in this easy-reader series, Pearl and Wagner: Two Good Friends (2003). In this funny entry, three short chapters highlight the sort of secrets important to first graders, focusing on the fear of riding on a roller coaster. Pearl skillfully helps Wagner prepare for their roller coaster ride, conquering his fear of the unknown, but the reality of the enormous roller coaster gives Pearl her own set of worries. Her fears are counteracted by Wagner’s comforting presence as they ride the huge “Zoomer” side-by-side, along with their class of assorted animal friends. McMullan’s subtle humor infuses the clever plot, which includes a field trip to an ice-cream factory as well as a birthday party at the amusement park. Alley’s delightful watercolor-and-ink illustrations show a wide range of emotions, including the animals all screaming their heads off as the roller coaster cars careen downhill. Pearl and Wagner are a winsome pair of pals who will surely share more easy-reader adventures, perhaps next time over four seasons like another famous animal duo. (Easy reader. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-8037-2574-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
Another sugar rush from the creators of Periwinkle Smith and the Twirly, Whirly Tutu (2009), featuring an urchin with button eyes, no nose, a huge hair bow and an outsized fund of determination. Here, after spotting a lonely star (with a sad face) in the sky, she tries sending a valentine via bird, then balloon, then cobbled-together airplane. None reaches the sky, but Periwinkle Smith is nothing if not persistent. In the end, a little red paint applied to a (remarkably powerful) flashlight does the trick, turning the ordinary household tool into a heart-shaped Bat-signal of sorts. Cartoon images with plenty of pink highlights float against pastel backdrops that look like vinyl wall covering. The cover, with its spray of sparkly stars behind a balletically posed girl will accurately and instantly tell susceptible young readers all they need to know about what’s inside. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8431-9940-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Mountain Press
Review Posted Online: June 20, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2010
A simple homily to the evocative power of words. Little Pig is reasonably content with a settled, bookish life, but in his reading he finds three words (see title) that seem to have special significance. He puts them into a sentence—“I wish for a change and a friend”—that precipitates a journey, at the end of which waits a friendly penguin with two new words: “Pig” and “Together.” Beeke (Book, Book, Book, p. 495, etc.) places small, dot-eyed figures against impressionistic wintry backgrounds, using toned-down colors to reflect the brief tale’s spare, restrained language. By the end, Little Pig and Penguin have created an inviting meeting place where anyone with a wish for a change can get together with a new friend. Few readers will be able resist this gentle invitation to gather, and to arrange, the words that are most important to them. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-689-84930-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2001
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