by Micki Lu illustrated by Chris Sesler ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 24, 2013
A thoroughly charming illustrated children’s book about a curious, adventure-loving dog that bodes well for the series to...
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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
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by Susan Verde ; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016
Though told by two outsiders to the culture, this timely and well-crafted story will educate readers on the preciousness of...
An international story tackles a serious global issue with Reynolds’ characteristic visual whimsy.
Gie Gie—aka Princess Gie Gie—lives with her parents in Burkina Faso. In her kingdom under “the African sky, so wild and so close,” she can tame wild dogs with her song and make grass sway, but despite grand attempts, she can neither bring the water closer to home nor make it clean. French words such as “maintenant!” (now!) and “maman” (mother) and local color like the karite tree and shea nuts place the story in a French-speaking African country. Every morning, Gie Gie and her mother perch rings of cloth and large clay pots on their heads and walk miles to the nearest well to fetch murky, brown water. The story is inspired by model Georgie Badiel, who founded the Georgie Badiel Foundation to make clean water accessible to West Africans. The details in Reynolds’ expressive illustrations highlight the beauty of the West African landscape and of Princess Gie Gie, with her cornrowed and beaded hair, but will also help readers understand that everyone needs clean water—from the children of Burkina Faso to the children of Flint, Michigan.
Though told by two outsiders to the culture, this timely and well-crafted story will educate readers on the preciousness of potable water. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-17258-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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by Andrea Beaty ; illustrated by David Roberts ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 16, 2019
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
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