The friends introduced in Wombat and Bandicoot (1990) are back in a charming ``Lift-the-flap Book.'' With the help of some other Australian animals, Bandicoot hides a present and prepares a surprise party; Wombat, meanwhile, less sleepy than he seems, searches unsuccessfully for his gift. Argent's beautifully designed, soft-textured art is enlivened by the brisk action (much of it behind the sturdy flaps), by the gaily-patterned fabrics on every page, and by the endearing gleam in Bandicoot's eye. Just right. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: April 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-316-05097-0
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1991
For those hoping to raise self-reliant children, Katie's parents make fine role models: Katie's mom lets her pour the milk, then—after she spills it—quietly hands her a sponge and paper towels (the latter are not environmentally correct); Dad lets her hold the hose and only laughs and shows her how to turn off the water when he gets wet. After Katie has maintained self- esteem through each mishap by helping to repair the damage (albeit with limited success—Band-Aids are stuck everywhere and her rewound yarn is more a tangle than a ball), Mom accedes to one last demand: the tot arranges her own blanket, half off the bed but ``all by herself.'' This cheery take on a typical two- year-old syndrome may be most entertaining to children who have recently moved beyond it. Paterson's buoyant illustrations, in which the mayhem Katie creates and various patient observers (including a dog and cat) are contained tidily on square, bordered pages, wonderfully extend the humor and the message of acceptance of a small child's first efforts toward independence. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: March 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-02-735827-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1994
In self-assured, cadenced prose, a little boy details his usual routine: ``This is the way I eat my breakfast and drink my milk and clean my place. I do it every day.'' Among other things, ``This is the way I go to the potty'' (``Just a minute, please,'' while, discreetly, the illustration depicts the family dog waiting earnestly outside the bathroom door). The book's last third concerns exceptions to this orderly round: it rains, Dad's late for work, the milk spills, and ``I didn't quite make it to the potty,'' but—as it's philosophically implied in the last line—mishaps are normal, too, though ``I'm glad those things don't happen every day.'' The author's perceptive cartoon-style illustrations reinforce the sense of an accepting family that knows how to weather minor vicissitudes cheerfully. Disarmingly direct. (Picture book. 2-5)
Pub Date: March 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-671-79583-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1994
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