A companion to The Wide-Mouthed Frog (1995) that is not as funny, but fans of the first book will want to get their hands on this one to see what pops out at them. Faulkner purports to explain why the pig has a short, wrinkled snout. The very first pig (who is pink, portly, and grubby—flies hover around him) has an exceedingly long nose, so long that preschoolers may be inclined to think of him as an elephant. Vain about his lengthy proboscis, the pig trots about holding his nose higher and higher until he bumps into a tree and squashes his nose into the short, wrinkly shape it is today. Along the way, readers meet a few other creatures whose long noses obligingly pop up: an anteater, a swordfish, and a toucan. The last spread (to be opened with a single ``OINK!'' fortissimo) is an extreme close-up of the pig's face, 18 inches in diameter. All the protuberant pop-ups, some bright colors, and lively art—the dirt smudges that begrime the pig are cleverly made from brown fingerprints across the pink paint surface—keep everything trotting merrily along. (Pop-up. 2- 6)
Pub Date: March 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-8037-2296-6
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This straightforward, graphic book was published in Japan in 1978. Whether the US is ready for its unblinking look at a subject that naturally fascinates children and is basic to toilet training remains to be seen. ``An elephant makes a big poop. A mouse makes a tiny poop,'' begins Gomi, depicting animals, birds, fish, and humans in boldly stylized forms silhouetted against origami-paper colors; their feces are appropriately shaped blobs. There's a lot to know: different shapes, colors, and smells (not described), while some animals stop but ``Others do it on the move.'' A child heading for ``a special place'' introduces a nonjudgmental comparison of adults and tots on toilets and potties with a baby on a diaper. The book concludes with a seven- animal lineup viewed fore (``All living things eat, so...'') and aft (``Everyone poops''). Candid and sensible. (Picture book. 2- 5)
Pub Date: March 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-916291-45-6
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Kane Miller
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1993
SEEN & HEARD
A sweet story of acceptance for all those who are this, that, neither, either, and everything in between
“Once upon a time, there were two kinds: this and that”: blue bunnies and yellow birds, with no other options. Until one day, an unusual egg hatches something that’s a bit of both—it’s a bright green creature with ears and tail like a bunny’s on a body like a bird’s. An animal that’s both, or Neither, does not really fit in anywhere, not quite “rabbity” nor “birdy” enough. So Neither flies off for Somewhere Else and stumbles upon a friendly community with lots of other “neither” sorts. Anderson’s bright gouache illustrations depict fantastic, rainbow-hued creatures that don’t quite fit into any neat box, not even those of well-known mythical creatures. Wings, spots, unicorn horns, and beaks, in any combination, all are welcome in the Land of All. Overtly a celebration of nonbinary identities, this parable is well-suited for any shelf seeking positive diversity titles for preschoolers and early-elementary students. Reminiscent of other recent titles in the same vein (Michael Hall’s Red, 2015, and Andrea J. Loney and Carmen Saldaña’s Bunnybear, 2017, are just two), this stands out for its accessibility to even very young read-aloud audiences.
A sweet story of acceptance for all those who are this, that, neither, either, and everything in between . (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-316-54769-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Nov. 21, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2017
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