A clever idea, but it’s not likely to need more than a one-way ticket.
A locomotive slides along a continuous slot that winds its way through a series of settings.
Instructions on the rear cover are required reading. The journey begins by pushing the small plastic toy parked on the last page through a tunnel in the heavy board leaves to the front. “As sunrise glows red on the bay,” the pinned locomotive can then be pushed along on a looping course to the edge of the page and (with a tricky but, with practice, smooth transition) around the overleaf to a “desert bright with orange clay.” The ride continues across a flat prairie farm, up a green mountainside, down through a twilit town, and past city skyscrapers to a railyard—whereupon the slot loops back around to the beginning. It’s all about the gimmick; aside from a distant rider on a horse in the desert scene, the landscapes are empty of human figures and, being as generic as the accompanying rhyme throughout, much of anything else to look at or for. The engine has no moving parts, nor does it pull any cars, and while it won’t fall out of the slot on its own, little fingers won’t have much trouble pulling it free.
A clever idea, but it’s not likely to need more than a one-way ticket. (Novelty board book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-7611-8716-5
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
Preschoolers will most likely warm to the good-natured competition between car and train, and parents and teachers will...
The usually dynamic McMullan duo (I Stink!, 2002) stalls with their sixth title, which stars an uber-confident train that accepts a challenge to race an equally self-assured sports car.
Before the trek from Sacramento to Chicago can begin, the freight is loaded with a boisterous call-and-response rhythm: “LUMBER? FLATCAR! YARD CREW? Hop to! / BRICKS? GONDOLA! STEEL? COIL CAR! GAS? TANK CAR! // GRAVEL BIN? Open the HATCH! HOPPER? Catch!” Then they are off: the car vrooming and the train hurtling with a “Chooka chooka chooka chooka.” The freight train impresses as it tunnels through rock, plows through snow and zooms past traffic, all the while pulling cars full of everything from frozen treats to pizza ingredients. The illustrations have a pleasingly retro touch. The sleek, red car contrasts nicely with the hulking, bright-blue mass of the freight engine as they traverse full-bleed spreads drenched in saturated colors of the landscape. Words flash in various bright hues accenting the many sound effects that comprise most of the frenetic text. This textual energy works well from a compositional standpoint, but it does pose difficulties for reading aloud. This, combined with a certain sense of overfamiliarity, keeps the book from rising to the top.
Preschoolers will most likely warm to the good-natured competition between car and train, and parents and teachers will appreciate the friendly conclusion. But for those looking for a standout title in the multitude of things-that-go stories, there is little here that would warrant a repeat journey. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-192085-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
This lost little dog will easily find a place in children’s hearts.
A terrifying adventure set against an icy backdrop turns into a heartwarming tale of one canine’s remarkable courage and resilience.
This sweet picture book recounts the amazing true tale of a dog discovered floating on an ice floe on the Vistula River off Poland in January 2010. No one knows where the animal comes from or how it has found itself in this predicament. Trapped it is, however, as it drifts 75 miles downriver for two days, defying rescue attempts. Finally, a scientific vessel, the R/V Baltica, spots the freezing, sodden, starving animal, and a crewman saves it, not without considerable difficulty. After recovering, the dog is nicknamed “Baltic,” and it remains aboard to become a beloved, valued crew member. The story is told simply and charmingly. The author’s use of the present tense gives the narrative immediacy, and with very brief sentences, some dialogue and questions posed to readers, Carnesi imbues the tale with a strong sense of drama that will captivate young listeners. Her ink-and-watercolor illustrations are child-appealing and effectively capture the dog’s desperation and eventual contentment. An author’s note with accompanying photographs places events in context and brings the story to a very satisfying conclusion.
This lost little dog will easily find a place in children’s hearts. (Informational picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-399-25666-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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