by Linda Ashman & illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2002
Wagmore Gently is the spotted, long-tailed pet of the Gently family in this original tall tale from Ashman (Can You Make a Piggy Giggle?, p. 560, etc.). Anyone with a big dog knows that wagging tails can cause trouble in crowded homes, but the exaggerated antics of Wagmore’s tail cause extraordinary trouble, such as cracks in walls and suspicion of earthquakes, as well as the more usual overturned plants and broken lamps. Wagmore solves his own problem by reading some self-help books (Taming the Wolf Within is one of the titles) and learning to control his tail by controlling his thoughts. When young Jack Gently loses his way on a camping trip, Wagmore saves the day (and his young owner) by causing a geyser that enables a helicopter pilot to locate the lost boy and dog. Bendall-Brunello’s (Fox and Fluff, p. 1125, etc.) exuberant watercolor illustrations bring Wagmore to life, creatively showing Wagmore’s wacky tail in action. Lots of speech and thought balloons and the offbeat idea of a dog trying to control his own thoughts might make this offering a little hard to follow for some children, but others (especially those who march to a different drummer themselves) will find Wagmore a charming, gentle hero. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-525-46916-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2002
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by Philip Bunting ; illustrated by Philip Bunting ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 19, 2024
Lighthearted and informative, though the premise may be a bit stretched.
An amiable introduction to our thrifty, sociable, teeming insect cousins.
Bunting notes that all the ants on Earth weigh roughly the same as all the people and observes that ants (like, supposedly, us) love recycling, helping others, and taking “micronaps.” They, too, live in groups, and their “superpower” is an ability to work together to accomplish amazing things. Bunting goes on to describe different sorts of ants within the colony (“Drone. Male. Does no housework. Takes to the sky. Reproduces. Drops dead”), how they communicate using pheromones, and how they get from egg to adult. He concludes that we could learn a lot from them that would help us leave our planet in better shape than it was when we arrived. If he takes a pass on mentioning a few less positive shared traits (such as our tendency to wage war on one another), still, his comparisons do invite young readers to observe the natural world more closely and to reflect on our connections to it. In the simple illustrations, generic black ants look up at viewers with little googly eyes while scurrying about the pages gathering food, keeping nests clean, and carrying outsized burdens.
Lighthearted and informative, though the premise may be a bit stretched. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: March 19, 2024
ISBN: 9780593567784
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
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PERSPECTIVES
by Julie Flett ; illustrated by Julie Flett ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 24, 2019
Emotionally stunning.
A young girl misses her urban home by the sea but soon discovers an unlikely friend who helps her to adjust.
After Katherena and her mom settle into their new rural home, Katherena visits the neighboring house and meets aging neighbor Agnes, an artist who works in clay. The seasons flow one into another. Katherena draws what she sees and grows ever closer to Agnes. Agnes tells Katherena about her art and about rural life; Katherena shares Cree words with Agnes. By the time it is fall, she’s helping Agnes in her garden. However, by winter, Agnes has become too weak to be outside much. Katherena and her mother make a salmon stew that Katherena takes over for Agnes and her daughter to enjoy. When spring returns again, Agnes continues to weaken, but Katherena has a plan to help her friend enjoy spring without going outside. Flett’s simple story explores the difficulties of moving but also shows young readers how new friends can sometimes ease them; that this friendship is an intergenerational one between fellow artists is an especially sweet touch. Flett (Cree/Métis) employs her characteristically minimalist style, placing Katherena against flat expanses of greensward that changes with the seasons, birds wheeling above in silhouette. Katherena and her mom both have brown skin and straight, black hair; Agnes has brown skin as well, but she does not speak Cree.
Emotionally stunning. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-77164-473-0
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
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