Something funny is afoot on the farm, but mom doesn’t have time to listen in this pleasing pastoral romp. Previously teamed in The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything (1986), collaborators Williams and Lloyd capture all the frantic activity with a humorous juxtaposition of words and images. “Heeey, Ma,” says the girl. “Horse is in the pigpen, rollin’ in the slop.” The horse dominates the opening spread; in the background, displaced pigs trample the chicken wire that guards the hen house. “Tell it to the pigs, dear. It’s time for me to mop,” is mom’s only response. Vignettes show the girl trying to figure out what to do. Following her mother’s advice, she discovers that the “hens are in the doghouse, gnawin’ on a bone.” The pattern repeats throughout as the girl bears witness to a series of strange occurrences. It’s only when the girl threatens to spend the night in the barn (because “Daisy” the cow is asleep in her bed) that mom responds. “Heeey, NO! Go and fetch the broom now! I’ll straighten up this farm.” In the first of three wordless double-paged spreads, Ma sweeps Daisy out with a flourish. The cow lands in the corner of the next spread, setting off a chain reaction that ends with the horse galloping off the page. Finally, all the animals are in their place as night falls on the farm. The rhythm and repetition of Williams’s text make this an enjoyable read-aloud; cleverly detailed and often outlandish illustrations make it a visual treat. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: April 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-06-028547-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2002
A forgettable tale.
Dot, the smallest reindeer at the North Pole, is too little to fly with the reindeer team on Christmas Eve, but she helps Santa in a different, unexpected way.
Dot is distressed because she can’t jump and fly like the other, bigger reindeer. Her family members encourage her and help her practice her skills, and her mother tells her, “There’s always next year.” Dot’s elf friend, Oliver, encourages her and spends time playing with her, doing things that Dot can do well, such as building a snowman and chasing their friend Yeti (who looks like a fuzzy, white gumdrop). On Christmas Eve, Santa and the reindeer team take off with their overloaded sleigh. Only Dot notices one small present that’s fallen in the snow, and she successfully leaps into the departing sleigh with the gift. This climactic flying leap into the sleigh is not adequately illustrated, as Dot is shown just starting to leap and then already in the sleigh. A saccharine conclusion notes that being little can sometimes be great and that “having a friend by your side makes anything possible.” The story is pleasant but predictable, with an improbably easy solution to Dot’s problem. Illustrations in a muted palette are similarly pleasant but predictable, with a greeting-card flavor that lacks originality. The elf characters include boys, girls, and adults; all the elves and Santa and Mrs. Claus are white.
A forgettable tale. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-338-15738-3
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
A story with a youngster getting ready for Christmas with just his dad should be a welcome choice for single fathers to...
A little bear named Teddy gets ready for Christmas with his father, Big Bear, in this decidedly cheerful British import.
Teddy is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Christmas, asking his father endless questions in the manner of little ones everywhere. Father and son work together to wrap presents, bake a cake and search for a Christmas tree. The tree that Teddy chooses is too large to fit through the doors of their house, and when they bring it through the window, the top of the tree snaps off. Teddy dissolves into tears at the accident, but father and son work together to repair the damage and decorate the tree for Christmas Eve. A joyful concluding spread shows the bear pair on Christmas morning, sprawled under their tree, eating cake and candy and enjoying their unwrapped gifts. The text is aggressively jolly, with sound effects and key words and phrases set in display type and lots of exclamation marks. But Chapman’s large-format illustrations are appealing, with plenty of humor and motion, and her bears are amusing—especially Teddy, who really does look like a teddy bear come to life.
A story with a youngster getting ready for Christmas with just his dad should be a welcome choice for single fathers to share with their children. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-58925-149-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2013
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