It’s hard to say at what age children absorb what’s going on with music and bands and life on the road, but it’s bound to be early given the attention paid to the bubble-gum guys. Now, debut author and early-elementary teacher Jones speaks to that interest as she assembles a Pig Band and sends them out, complete with a tour bus that runs off that road. (No terrible mishap, though, because they’re saved by an ice-cream truck.) There’s a piggy guitarist, standup bass player, pianist, and drummer and together they play country, blues, and rock and roll. While most kids won’t understand what blue suede shoes are (they deserved updating), they are introduced to the idea of diverse music styles, concerts, and fans and all in rhyme. As important is Staake’s (One Hundred Shoes, not reviewed, etc.) evocative graphic art that uses a flat, but varied, color scale reminiscent of Donald Crews, although his compositions are much busier in order to illuminate the excitement of concerts. He introduces a dazzling array of shapes, depicting instruments, buildings, and people, but also throws in some nice arty nuances to rock interest. He spotlights a world that the fans of this package have yet to experience. Like a rock band, the strength here is the entire package. The context may be a little early for some kids, but they’ll cheer the happy symphony of elements. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: March 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-670-03581-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2003
This is a tremendously moving story, but some people will be moved only on the second reading, after they’ve Googled “How to...
A hug shouldn’t require an instruction manual—but some do.
A porcupine can frighten even the largest animal. In this picture book, a bear and a deer, along with a small rabbit, each run away when they hear eight simple words and their name: “I need a hug. Will you cuddle me,…?” As they flee, each utters a definitive refusal that rhymes with their name. The repetitive structure gives Blabey plenty of opportunities for humor, because every animal responds to the question with an outlandish, pop-eyed expression of panic. But the understated moments are even funnier. Each animal takes a moment to think over the request, and the drawings are nuanced enough that readers can see the creatures react with slowly building anxiety or, sometimes, a glassy stare. These silent reaction shots not only show exquisite comic timing, but they make the rhymes in the text feel pleasingly subtle by delaying the final line in each stanza. The story is a sort of fable about tolerance. It turns out that a porcupine can give a perfectly adequate hug when its quills are flat and relaxed, but no one stays around long enough to find out except for an animal that has its own experiences with intolerance: a snake. It’s an apt, touching moral, but the climax may confuse some readers as they try to figure out the precise mechanics of the embrace.
This is a tremendously moving story, but some people will be moved only on the second reading, after they’ve Googled “How to pet a porcupine.” (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 29, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-29710-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2018
A group of farm animals is drawn together by an unusually bright star shining over a stable in their neighborhood in this sentimental Nativity story. The narrative focuses on a gray kitten who is tenderly cared for by his mother in their home in a barn. They follow the other animals to the stable under the star, and as a group they enter and stand before the straw-filled manger in the final spread. The kitten describes his great happiness at this special baby, but unfortunately the baby is not shown in the illustration, which may leave readers confused and dissatisfied. Though Mendez’s large-format illustrations are appealing and the simple story is accessible to preschoolers, the ending demonstrates a lack of knowledge of the needs of this age group, who need to see to believe. (Picture book. 3-5)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-545-10486-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2009
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