Readers may find themselves scratching their heads.
Teddy the dog decides to compete in a dog show.
Teddy thinks very highly of himself (“I’ve always been a dashing dog”), so he knows he’ll be a natural in the Strut Your Mutt dog show. He fills out the entry form and prepares to travel. While the art accurately reflects what the text tells, it does little to move the action forward or tell a story the text does not. Teddy doesn’t want to travel with luggage via plane (sad animals in crates make for a teachable moment about the inhumane treatment of animals in planes), instead taking the ChauFUR Express. Sneider incorporates some clever jokes into his illustrations, some apparently aimed more at adults than children: “Weight? A dog never tells!” reads Teddy’s completed entry form. Upon arrival, the sunglasses-sporting Teddy is lauded by all, though why he deserves their attention is never entirely clear. Strangely, Teddy—who usually displays human tendencies—is suddenly all dog, jumping on the judge…and getting disqualified. The book ends with a moral: “we’re all best in our own show.” This story seems unsure of its purpose—the moral implies it’s a morality tale, but it seems entirely undeserved. Teddy’s always had confidence; had his lack of special talents been an issue earlier, it may have made more sense.
Readers may find themselves scratching their heads. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 25, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-06-238284-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
There’s nothing especially new here, but the good-natured celebration of books, reading, and libraries will charm fellow...
A porcine hoarder of books learns to read—and to share.
The Book Hog’s obsession is clear from the start. Short declarative sentences describe his enthusiasm (“The Book Hog loved books”), catalog the things he likes about the printed page, and eventually reveal his embarrassing secret (“He didn’t know how to read”). While the text is straightforward, plenty of amusing visual details will entertain young listeners. A picture of the Book Hog thumbing through a book while seated on the toilet should induce some giggles. The allusive name of a local bookshop (“Wilbur’s”) as well as the covers of a variety of familiar and much-loved books (including some of the author’s own) offer plenty to pore over. And the fact that the titles become legible only after our hero learns to read is a particularly nice touch. A combination of vignettes, single-page illustrations and double-page spreads that feature Pizzoli’s characteristic style—heavy black outlines, a limited palette of mostly salmon and mint green, and simple shapes—move the plot along briskly. Librarians will appreciate the positive portrayal of Miss Olive, an elephant who welcomes the Book Hog warmly to storytime, though it’s unlikely most will be able to match her superlative level of service.
There’s nothing especially new here, but the good-natured celebration of books, reading, and libraries will charm fellow bibliophiles, and the author’s fans will enjoy making another anthropomorphic animal friend. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-03689-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
A first-rate sharkfest, unusually nutritious for all its brevity.
Buzz and his buzzy buddy open a spinoff series of nonfiction early readers with an aquarium visit.
Buzz: “Like other fish, sharks breathe through gills.” Fly Guy: “GILLZZ.” Thus do the two pop-eyed cartoon tour guides squire readers past a plethora of cramped but carefully labeled color photos depicting dozens of kinds of sharks in watery settings, along with close-ups of skin, teeth and other anatomical features. In the bite-sized blocks of narrative text, challenging vocabulary words like “carnivores” and “luminescence” come with pronunciation guides and lucid in-context definitions. Despite all the flashes of dentifrice and references to prey and smelling blood in the water, there is no actual gore or chowing down on display. Sharks are “so cool!” proclaims Buzz at last, striding out of the gift shop. “I can’t wait for our next field trip!” (That will be Fly Guy Presents: Space, scheduled for September 2013.)
A first-rate sharkfest, unusually nutritious for all its brevity. (Informational easy reader. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-50771-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
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