An enjoyable, nicely illustrated animal tale emphasizing individuality, nature’s beauty, and the importance of friendship.
A lonesome squirrel celebrates the offerings of the forest and seeks a pal in this picture book.
Olly, a red squirrel, is crestfallen when the gray squirrels reject him. They laugh and say, “You’re not like us. Go away!” When Olly returns to his oak tree home, he finds an acorn etched with lines that look like a smiling face. Olly feels grateful for this “reminder that he was not alone.” When he connects “as kindred spirits” with a human White boy walking through the forest, Olly takes the visitor’s presence as an omen: “The forest had sent” the boy “to heal his lonely heart.” Meanwhile, the gray squirrels feel ashamed for mistreating Olly. When Olly sees that they are unhappy, he shows them his acorn in hopes of helping them “feel better.” Olly’s “dark and sad” world has “revealed its true colors,” and he is thrilled to befriend the other squirrels. He acknowledges “how wonderful it is to be kind and share.” In Soares’ engaging story, Olly is a sweet and thoughtful protagonist. Readers will root for his happiness as he appreciates nature’s gifts and even nobly offers the other squirrels an opportunity to redeem themselves. Volgina’s lovely, realistic illustrations feature watercolor backdrops and lifelike details, including the squirrels’ fur. Color is incorporated skillfully. Scenes feature muted tones when Olly feels bleak. When he is cheerier, the images burst with red-tinged accents.
An enjoyable, nicely illustrated animal tale emphasizing individuality, nature’s beauty, and the importance of friendship.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-4-910769-01-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Honey Bunny Amigurumis Publishing
Review Posted Online: May 8, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
For exciting, optimal use, expect brown-edged pages.
Readers are encouraged to find a worm and to employ careful observation techniques.
Immediately after the title page, a bespectacled worm wearing a blue scarf—it acts as commentator throughout—reminds readers to be gentle when picking up worms and to return them safely to their places of origin after studying them. (Environmentally conscious endnotes both suggest acquiring a worm from a bait shop if one is not available outside and caution against introducing these worms into the natural environment.) Two children, one black and one white, look out toward readers as if hearing the words printed above them: “Stop! To read this book you are going to need a worm.” Indeed, without a worm in hand, half of the text becomes moot. Readers—along with the two children—are urged to run a finger along the worm’s body; to stare into the worm’s “face”; to carefully observe worm sensitivities to alcohol fumes and light beams; to listen for the bristles called setae by holding up a paper-wrapped worm to an ear; to create a one-night, dirt-filled worm hotel in a clear plastic bottle. For a book that seems otherwise eco-conscious, it is a surprise that a glass jar used with care is not recommended over plastic. As the gently humorous text gives directions and nature facts, the whimsical worm’s speech bubbles offer vocabulary pronunciations and tips about keeping worms healthy while they are under surveillance. The graphic art is lively and colorful, well matched with the text.
For exciting, optimal use, expect brown-edged pages. (resources, research notes) (Informational picture book. 6-9)Pub Date: March 19, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-58089-897-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
A nifty high-seas caper for chapter-book readers with a love of adventure and a yearning for treasure.
It’s not truffles but doubloons that tickle this porcine wayfarer’s fancy.
Funke and Meyer make another foray into chapter-book fare after Emma and the Blue Genie (2014). Here, mariner Stout Sam and deckhand Pip eke out a comfortable existence on Butterfly Island ferrying cargo to and fro. Life is good, but it takes an unexpected turn when a barrel washes ashore containing a pig with a skull-and-crossbones pendant around her neck. It soon becomes clear that this little piggy, dubbed Julie, has the ability to sniff out treasure—lots of it—in the sea. The duo is pleased with her skills, but pride goeth before the hog. Stout Sam hands out some baubles to the local children, and his largess attracts the unwanted attention of Barracuda Bill and his nasty minions. Now they’ve pignapped Julie, and it’s up to the intrepid sailors to save the porker and their own bacon. The succinct word count meets the needs of kids looking for early adventure fare. The tale is slight, bouncy, and amusing, though Julie is never the piratical buccaneer the book’s cover seems to suggest. Meanwhile, Meyer’s cheery watercolors are as comfortable diagramming the different parts of a pirate vessel as they are rendering the dread pirate captain himself.
A nifty high-seas caper for chapter-book readers with a love of adventure and a yearning for treasure. (Adventure. 7-9)Pub Date: June 23, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-37544-3
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2015
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
