A story of such gentleness that it really deserves to be called a lullaby, though there is no nighty-night involved. What there is, though, is the great golden thing that Bramble Bear has glimpsed. It caught him so by surprise that he didn’t really get a good look at it before he rushed off to tell Gimli what he had seen. Gimli is a magician with a wonderful well in his backyard, a well that loves the flowers Gimli gives to it as thanks each springtime (for there are no flowers across the land at any other time of year). Gimli tries to coax from Bramble Bear more details about the great golden thing. Ultimately, they decide it is “a great golden thing that flies yet rests on a leg that is green and stands on the ground.” There is nothing to do but go see the thing, so off they set and meet their friend Hopple Hare on the way, who joins the investigation. They are stopped short by Brindle Bear, who announces that her sunflower is most likely what they are after, a flower she nourishes from Gimli’s spring. They are disappointed at first, but decide that it will be enjoyable to see the flower anyway. They go and offer the flower a little dance, then gather some fallen petals to bring back to the spring. The art has a certain galumphing quality—Brindle and Bramble look like they could have just come from Jellystone Park—but it also has a dreamy softness that goes perfectly well with the mild, peaceable tale. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7358-1593-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2002
Echoes of Runaway Bunny color this exchange between a bath-averse piglet and his patient mother. Using a strategy that would probably be a nonstarter in real life, the mother deflects her stubborn offspring’s string of bath-free occupational conceits with appeals to reason: “Pirates NEVER EVER take baths!” “Pirates don’t get seasick either. But you do.” “Yeesh. I’m an astronaut, okay?” “Well, it is hard to bathe in zero gravity. It’s hard to poop and pee in zero gravity too!” And so on, until Mom’s enticing promise of treasure in the deep sea persuades her little Treasure Hunter to take a dive. Chunky figures surrounded by lots of bright white space in Segal’s minimally detailed watercolors keep the visuals as simple as the plotline. The language isn’t quite as basic, though, and as it rendered entirely in dialogue—Mother Pig’s lines are italicized—adult readers will have to work hard at their vocal characterizations for it to make any sense. Moreover, younger audiences (any audiences, come to that) may wonder what the piggy’s watery closing “EUREKA!!!” is all about too. Not particularly persuasive, but this might coax a few young porkers to get their trotters into the tub. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25425-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A series of rollicking riddles with unexpected answers. In the first spread, the picture on the left apparently shows a rabbit in silhouette while the short verse on the right provides the clues: “He steals carrots... / His floppy ears are long and funny. / Can you guess who? That’s right! My….” Turn the page for the answer: “Grandpa Ned.” (Ned’s upside-down, with socks half-pulled off to resemble rabbit ears.) Grandpa Ned turns up twice more, as the answer to a riddle that seems to be about a cat and later as the setup answer to another riddle. The book’s four other riddles involve a pirate, snow creatures, a mouse hole and a dark cave. A lifting flap and a gatefold add tactile interest. Rex’s straightforward gouache-and–mixed-media illustrations downplay the mischief of the premise, appropriately lobbing visual softballs at an audience disoriented by the goof on a tried-and-true formula they’ve encountered over and over. In all, it’s a refreshing (albeit slight) spoof for jaded young readers who have aced easy Q&A books; some may find it too cool for the room. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5566-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2009
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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