A sweetly told animal story of loss, danger, and reunion.
An adopted ferret settles into his new home but misses his buddy in this debut picture book.
Chubby and Coco are ferrets and best friends, spending their time playing together. But one day, Coco vanishes. Chubby doesn’t understand why and misses her terribly. Chubby’s owner, Mark, no longer has time to care for him and asks his brother, Jeffrey, to adopt him, which he’s glad to do. The young man sets up everything a ferret needs, and soon Chubby is eating (of course), playing, going for walks, and snuggling with Jeffrey. But he still misses Coco. One day, Chubby slips out of the apartment and tries looking for his old friend, but he’s scared by bullying geese in a nearby park. Jeffrey rescues and reassures Chubby. When he goes on vacation, Jeffrey leaves Chubby with his father, John—who, it turns out, has been taking care of Coco. The ferrets are overjoyed to see each other again, and when Jeffrey returns, both animals come home with him, happily reunited. Abrams includes photographs of the actual ferrets that inspired this work, which give a good sense of their personalities, as with Chubby’s horrified expression when surrounded by geese. The book subtly teaches children about responsible pet ownership, which includes relocating furry friends when necessary, searching immediately for lost animals, and trying to keep bonded pairs together. Children might better relate to younger human protagonists, but that’s a quibble.
A sweetly told animal story of loss, danger, and reunion.Pub Date: July 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4120-7294-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Trafford
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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