A thoroughly charming illustrated children’s book about a curious, adventure-loving dog that bodes well for the series to...
An appealing children’s tale of a lively, loyal canine named Pip and his camping adventure with his favorite “Persons”: the author, a wildlife photographer; and her husband, a naturalist.
Furry little Pip is a Schipperke, a Belgian breed of canine, but as far as he’s concerned, he’s “pure Adventure dog.” In this charming, resonant first book in a planned series, Pip joyfully accompanies his owners, Micki Lu and Brad, on a camping trip to Texas’ Caprock Canyons State Park. Getting there is half the fun: In the truck, Pip sits in a special, dog-safe seat between his Persons, giving him a clear view of the passing scenery. He’s in a perfect spot to receive lots of affectionate petting during the trip, and the air vents keep him cool and bring in “all sorts of new and wonderful smells.” Pip hears Micki Lu talk about looking for horned toads to photograph, and he pictures the “fat, squishy things” in his backyard back home, noting that “not one of them had ever had horns!” At night, he curls up to sleep inside the “House on Wheels.” Just before dawn, he awakens and peers through the window, thrilled to see a raccoon and a deer with two fawns and somewhat relieved that the rustling he’d heard wasn’t caused by a “very big toad” with horns. His excitement and sense of discovery warms each page of this gentle, genuine story, as does the author’s apparent deep love and care for the real-life Pip—who’s not only the author’s companion, but her medical-alert dog as well. The book’s soft, expressive colored-pencil drawings follow Pip through human and natural environments, reflecting the observant authenticity of Lu’s storytelling, right down to Pip’s satisfying encounter with an actual horned toad.
A thoroughly charming illustrated children’s book about a curious, adventure-loving dog that bodes well for the series to come.Pub Date: Sept. 24, 2013
ISBN: 978-1491038031
Page Count: 40
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Nov. 29, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Adventure, humor, and smart, likable characters make for a winning chapter book.
Ada Twist’s incessant stream of questions leads to answers that help solve a neighborhood crisis.
Ada conducts experiments at home to answer questions such as, why does Mom’s coffee smell stronger than Dad’s coffee? Each answer leads to another question, another hypothesis, and another experiment, which is how she goes from collecting data on backyard birds for a citizen-science project to helping Rosie Revere figure out how to get her uncle Ned down from the sky, where his helium-filled “perilous pants” are keeping him afloat. The Questioneers—Rosie the engineer, Iggy Peck the architect, and Ada the scientist—work together, asking questions like scientists. Armed with knowledge (of molecules and air pressure, force and temperature) but more importantly, with curiosity, Ada works out a solution. Ada is a recognizable, three-dimensional girl in this delightfully silly chapter book: tirelessly curious and determined yet easily excited and still learning to express herself. If science concepts aren’t completely clear in this romp, relationships and emotions certainly are. In playful full- and half-page illustrations that break up the text, Ada is black with Afro-textured hair; Rosie and Iggy are white. A closing section on citizen science may inspire readers to get involved in science too; on the other hand, the “Ode to a Gas!” may just puzzle them. Other backmatter topics include the importance of bird study and the threat palm-oil use poses to rainforests.
Adventure, humor, and smart, likable characters make for a winning chapter book. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3422-9
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Jan. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This delightful debut welcomes readers in like a house filled with love.
A 13-year-old biracial girl longs to build the house of her dreams.
For Lou Bulosan-Nelson, normal is her “gigantic extended family squished into Lola’s for every holiday imaginable.” She shares a bedroom with her Filipina mother, Minda—a former interior-design major and current nurse-to-be—in Lola Celina’s San Francisco home. From her deceased white father, Michael, Lou inherited “not-so-Filipino features,” his love for architecture, and some land. Lou’s quietude implies her keen eye for details, but her passion for creating with her hands resonates loudly. Pining for something to claim as her own, she plans to construct a house from the ground up. When her mom considers moving out of state for a potential job and Lou’s land is at risk of being auctioned off, Lou stays resilient, gathering support from both friends and family to make her dream a reality. Respicio authentically depicts the richness of Philippine culture, incorporating Filipino language, insights into Lou’s family history, and well-crafted descriptions of customs, such as the birdlike Tinikling dance and eating kamayan style (with one’s hands), throughout. Lou’s story gives voice to Filipino youth, addressing cultural differences, the importance of bayanihan (community), and the true meaning of home.
This delightful debut welcomes readers in like a house filled with love. (Fiction. 8-13)Pub Date: June 12, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5247-1794-0
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Wendy Lamb/Random
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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