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MOLE AND THE BABY BIRD

Name: MOLE AND THE BABY BIRD
Author: Marjorie Newman
ISBN: 1-58234-784-0

by Marjorie Newman & illustrated by Patrick Benson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2002

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An old adage (“If you love someone set them free”) and a message about respect for nature combine in this sweet story. Newman tells it simply, with just a few lines of text per page (“Mole found a baby bird. It had fallen out of its nest”). Benson’s (Squeak’s Good Idea, 2001, etc.) delicate illustrations, which appear to be rendered in watercolor and pen and ink, are similarly unadulterated. In the opening spread, for example, Mole—wide-eyed with his paws behind his back—observes the wayward baby. On the facing page, the two appear in nearly the same position with only their expressions changed (Mole bemused, the bird confused). When Mole brings the bird home to his parents, they offer an honest assessment of what it means to care for such a creature. “They usually die,” says his father. Still, Mole is determined to beat the odds and, under his care, the bird prospers. But when it tries to fly, Mole moves swiftly to keep the bird grounded. Benson’s vignettes are full of touching detail: as Mole transports lumber to build a cage, for example, the bird carries nails in his beak. Only Grandpa can help Mole see the animal’s true nature and, in the end, Mole does what’s best for the bird. This enjoyable story is so subtly crafted, with text and illustration so perfectly paired, that youngsters will eagerly read between the lines, making it a natural choice for read-aloud sessions and a good starting place for discussions about the environment, relationships, and more. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2002

ISBN: 1-58234-784-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2002

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS

- BOOK REVIEW
JUST LIKE ME
by Marjorie Newman & illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max

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THE DUCK WHO DIDN'T LIKE WATER

by Steve Small ; illustrated by Steve Small ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 30, 2021

Damp.

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A good friend can change your life.

Duck loves settling down with a hot beverage when he reads, but that’s the only liquid for him—he doesn’t like getting wet. As a result, he dresses in a yellow rain slicker constantly and spends rainy days inside with the shutters drawn. This solitary existence continues until one night when a particularly bad storm creates a hole in Duck’s roof. When he sets out to investigate repairing it, he comes face to face with a lost frog on his doorstep. Even though Frog loves the water, the two develop a friendship through a shared love of reading. Frog eventually finds his way home, but the two have bonded, and Duck invites Frog to join him as a new roommate. Although the story’s soft cartoon illustrations are amusing—Duck peddling his bicycle in his slicker, boots, and sou’wester will elicit smiles—they can’t save the superficial message of the story. Duck’s phobia is never directly addressed, but once Frog moves in permanently, the rain slicker vanishes, so there’s a bit of a visual resolution. Books addressing new friendships are always needed, but the characters need to be developed to attract and inspire readers. This pale imitation of Oliver Jeffers’ Lost and Found (2006) doesn’t have the depth needed to carry the message. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-15.8-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Damp. (Picture book. 6-8)

Pub Date: March 30, 2021

ISBN: 978-1-5344-8917-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE HARE WHO WOULDN'T SHARE
by Steve Small ; illustrated by Steve Small

- BOOK REVIEW
BRAVE LITTLE BEAR
by Steve Small ; illustrated by Steve Small

- BOOK REVIEW
I'M STICKING WITH YOU—AND THE CHICKEN TOO!
by Smriti Prasadam-Halls ; illustrated by Steve Small

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LITTLE SHREW

by Akiko Miyakoshi ; illustrated by Akiko Miyakoshi ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2024

Charm incarnate.

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A little creature lives a little life, devoid of opulence but full of splendor.

Split into three brief stories, this Japanese import follows Little Shrew as he indulges in the neat and tidy order of his life. In the first tale, readers observe the minutiae of Little Shrew’s day, from what he eats for breakfast to his commute to work. In a world full of large humans, Little Shrew has carved out a neat existence, replete with breaks at work and evenings filled with food, radios, and cozy chairs. The second story sees Little Shrew acquiring an old television set at a garage sale, along with a poster of Hawaii found in an alley; he then dreams of sunny shores. In the final entry, old acquaintances come to visit, and by the end Little Shrew thinks to himself, “It was a good year,” and that is that. Miyakoshi elevates the quotidian, showing how a simple life can be deeply satisfying in its regularity. Her intricate pencil, charcoal, and acrylic gouache artwork tints each scene in a delicate light, rendering Little Shrew both novel and infinitely familiar all at once. With his small stature but adult ways, he’s both a stand-in for young readers and a role model whom they may wish to emulate someday.

Charm incarnate. (Fiction. 5-8)