A clear message wrapped in an enigmatic story with lovely illustrations
A pig who lives in the lap of luxury learns to walk on the wild side.
Piggy is an anthropomorphic pig who lives in an imposing country house with a human boy named Thomas. Thomas dresses Piggy as he wants, makes Piggy play what he wants, and talks Piggy’s ear off. A visit from Thomas’ cousin brings Piggy some relief, and he explores outside the house, encountering Wild Pig. Wild Pig is puzzled by Piggy’s clothes but is friendly, inviting his domestic cousin for a run. Piggy declines, returning to the confinement of the home. Eventually the cousin leaves, and Piggy must bear the brunt of Thomas’ attention himself—at which point he leaves Thomas’ tea party, sheds his clothes, and goes beyond the fence to join Wild Pig. Gulemetova’s quirky little tale tantalizes with its ellipses: How does Piggy come to live with Thomas? Where are Thomas’ parents? But even as it leaves questions dangling, it entrances young readers with its expansive, atmospheric illustrations. Inside Thomas’ house it’s all straight lines and sterile rooms; outside, the horizon is far away, and green hills beckon. Though children may find the idea of a talking pet pig who does what they demand thrilling, they will also see Thomas’ cruelty and, perhaps, examine themselves for similar self-centeredness. Thomas has beige skin.
A clear message wrapped in an enigmatic story with lovely illustrations . (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-84643-931-5
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Child's Play
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
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