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
A cozy, Rosie read. (Picture book. 2-6)
Two black children, who could be seen as fraternal twins, lavish love on their dachshund, Rosie.
Rylant’s text is written in the first person plural and uses an episodic structure that also highlights opposites. Sister and brother (unnamed in the text) affirm their love for Rosie whatever the circumstance, in brief episodes: “Day and Night…Good and Bad…In and Out…Lost and Found…Up and Down…Here and There.” The playfully repetitive phrasing reads rather like the controlled text of an early reader, and clear, bold type could support new readers attempting to decode it independently. Davick’s accompanying digital illustrations feature brightly colored, flat, graphically simple forms set against the clean whiteness of the pages. No other characters are present, which provides a pleasing focus on the loving dynamic between the children and their dog, as they read, play, and snuggle the days away.
A cozy, Rosie read. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Feb. 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6511-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2016
Light on story but full of delightful details and lots of color practice, this is sure to garner many new fans for Bear and...
Wilson and Chapman’s Bear is back, this time for younger listeners who are learning colors.
Rollicking rhymes, objects to spot and well-timed page turns will have kids shouting out: “Mouse and Bear are walking; / they are chitter-chatter-talking. / So much for them to do. / And the bear sees… // blue! / Blue flowers / by the trail. / Blue berries. / Blue pail. / Blue, blue EVERYWHERE! / Can you spy blue with Bear?” The two meet Hare for an exploration of the color red; the three seek out yellow with Badger; Gopher and Mole join in to find green; and Raven, Owl and Wren introduce the color brown. The adventure ends with a full spread featuring every color; readers are invited to spot them. Solid rhymes give way to stream/green and round/brown, though readers likely won’t care—Bear is that beloved (not to mention adorable) a character by now, and Chapman’s friendly and energetic illustrations have so many things of each hue for them to identify—not just the items named in the text.
Light on story but full of delightful details and lots of color practice, this is sure to garner many new fans for Bear and his group of friends. (Picture book. 2-6)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-6536-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: July 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
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