Hot as the “bully” topic may be, this has nothing to offer on it aside from facile wish fulfillment.
Inspired by his dinosaur ancestry, a small chick drives off a wolf and so turns bullies into friends in this bland episode.
Bullies Little Pig, Little Sheep and Little Donkey refuse him entry to the treehouse unless he can prove that he’s “brave and mighty.” A nascent rooster’s crow doesn’t persuade them that he or his family meet their qualifications, and they post a “No Chickens Allowed” sign on their tree. Little Chick pesters his dad into helping him dig up an “ancient ancestor” who turns out to be T. Rex. Proclaiming “I AM CHICK-O-SAURUS REX!” in a full-spread bellow, Little Chick races back to the tree with a giant bone, arriving just in time to send a startled wolf scooting off. Huzzah. After a general chorus of “For He’s a Mighty Brave Chicken,” the erstwhile bullies throw the treehouse open to all the farm animals. The thick-lined, very simple cartoon illustrations have just about as much nuance as the plotline.
Hot as the “bully” topic may be, this has nothing to offer on it aside from facile wish fulfillment. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: July 23, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4424-5186-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
Chipmunk parents and children display mutual attachment in this uncomplicated new entry in the teeming “I Love You More/So Much/This Much/Forever” genre.
Anthropomorphic in dress and body proportions, a furry family sets out for a day of play and picnicking, followed by dinnertime, baths and bedtime. It’s all punctuated by hugs, nuzzles and affectionate glances. Suspended on spreads of blank creamy paper with just occasional food items or tufts of grass for detail, Henry’s smiling animal figures fly kites, make chalk drawings, relax on a checkered blanket and (in the parents’ case) look on fondly as the daylong idyll passes. Despite occasional inexact rhymes and words selected more for sound than relevance, the accompanying patterned couplets warmly reflect each picture’s mix of buoyant energy and happy but not wild action: “Sprinkle, twinkle, mix, and bake. / Love you more than / chocolate cake. // Sudsy, wudsy, splash, and laugh. / Love you more than bubbly bath.” A bit bland, but it conveys the two-way message without turning syrupy. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4549-0021-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
The duo promises further adventures for their little clothed kitty—she’s off to a good start.
What kind of adventure will Little Lola have?
Little Lola wakes up early one morning. That is part of the plan, delineated in a to-do list. She must stretch, hide, read the paper, play games and have an adventure! Finding pink glasses, a pert little outfit and a backpack, she decides to board a school bus. When she gets to school, she’s excited; everything and everyone has a place. She practices writing and arithmetic. She practices painting and playing, singing and sharing. She loves everything about school, but she loves storytime and show and tell best of all. She thinks she has the best thing for show and tell…but the mouse she presents scares everyone, and the classroom erupts in chaos. Lola puts everything back (some rather out of place), and all the children say goodbye, and they hope to see her tomorrow. This debut for husband-and-wife team Saab and Gothard will be a good addition to the off-to-school canon. The spot and full-bleed watercolor illustrations have a retro, Scarry-esque look, complementing the declarative text that bubbles over with Lola’s enthusiasm. Little listeners uncertain about going off to school might find solace in Lola’s excitement.
The duo promises further adventures for their little clothed kitty—she’s off to a good start. (Picture book. 4-6)Pub Date: April 22, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-227457-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 14, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
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