A well-informed narrative with an appealing animal stand-in for a child with autism.
Friends and family help an anxious lion cub with autism get through his medical exam.
This appealing picture book by a clinical psychologist at the Autism and Behavior Center in Western Wisconsin is the fourth in a series featuring autistic lion cub Brody—who roars when he feels overwhelmed. Told in pleasing rhyme, it begins as Brody worries about the approach of his annual medical checkup. He knows that a “big poke” will be involved, and he is apprehensive about what else will happen (“even just the thought of walking through Doc’s door / made Brody worry and really want to ROAR”). Wegner, who dedicates her books to children and families “embracing the joys and facing the challenges of autism,” deftly uses Brody’s experiences to model parental advocacy, positive reinforcement, and communication techniques in a nonclinical way. Here, adults Mrs. G, a giraffe, and Dr. Roo, a kangaroo, help reassure Brody by setting up a playroom doctor’s visit. Brody overcomes his anxiety and upsetting moments, like accidentally flipping a fish out of the fish tank, by taking a deep breath and counting. Stayer’s cartoon-style illustrations, encompassing the clearly lettered black text, fill each page with color, expressive characters, and thoughtful details; e.g., the inclusion of a teddy bear in a wheelchair and a nonverbal child’s communication tablet device. The book ends with substantive tips to help children facing medical and therapy appointments.
A well-informed narrative with an appealing animal stand-in for a child with autism.Pub Date: April 23, 2022
ISBN: 979-8-98586-082-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Autism and Behavior Center
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers.
The bestselling series (How to Catch an Elf, 2016, etc.) about capturing mythical creatures continues with a story about various ways to catch the Easter Bunny as it makes its annual deliveries.
The bunny narrates its own story in rhyming text, beginning with an introduction at its office in a manufacturing facility that creates Easter eggs and candy. The rabbit then abruptly takes off on its delivery route with a tiny basket of eggs strapped to its back, immediately encountering a trap with carrots and a box propped up with a stick. The narrative focuses on how the Easter Bunny avoids increasingly complex traps set up to catch him with no explanation as to who has set the traps or why. These traps include an underground tunnel, a fluorescent dance floor with a hidden pit of carrots, a robot bunny, pirates on an island, and a cannon that shoots candy fish, as well as some sort of locked, hazardous site with radiation danger. Readers of previous books in the series will understand the premise, but others will be confused by the rabbit’s frenetic escapades. Cartoon-style illustrations have a 1960s vibe, with a slightly scary, bow-tied bunny with chartreuse eyes and a glowing palette of neon shades that shout for attention.
This bunny escapes all the traps but fails to find a logical plot or an emotional connection with readers. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-3817-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Jan. 16, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2017
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<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p>
Caregiver-child love abounds in this rhyming board book full of animal puns.
One thing’s for certain, there’s plenty of sweet (and groanworthy) sentiments in this book. Rossner writes, “Giving HOGS and kisses / sends me to the moon!” and, “I’m such a lucky DUCK. / You really QUACK me up!” The book progresses entirely in this fashion, with a new animal pair and pun with each page turn. It reads well as a book for a caregiver to share with a lap-sitting child. On that mark, it succeeds in providing plenty of opportunities for giggles and snuggles. That said, at times the meter is forced, making the cadence a bit stilted, and the cuddles/bubbles rhyme is a dubious one. This is an issue for a book that will almost solely be read aloud. Gibson’s illustrations are very charming; the animals and insects with big eyes and expressive faces have high appeal. The warmth of the animals’ embraces and cuddles translates well from the page, inviting the same snuggles from readers. Decorated eggs appear on each page, and the bunny pair from the cover features prominently. Overall, the concept and message of the book are high interest and age-appropriate, but it doesn’t stand out from the very crowded shelf of “I love you, little one!” books similar to it.
<p>Perfectly fine but nothing new.</p> (Board book. 6 mos.-2)Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7282-2343-8
Page Count: 25
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
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