Excellent visual storytelling aligned with eloquent brevity.
A comical fruit bat addresses readers about its beloved cherries, not guessing they will soon disappear.
From the simple, funny cover to the final, wordless page, this book is a quirky gem. The art has the appearance of simple woodblock prints. The black-winged, gray-bodied bat has thin, pointy, white teeth that issue alternately from a pencil-thin smile or a grimace and little black eyes with thin, expressive, black eyebrows. Its first words, as it hangs upside-down against an avocado green background, are: “I AM BAT. I do not like mornings.” On the opposite page, against solid yellow, it smiles, its wings full of red orbs with green stems, and says, “I like CHERRIES.” It goes on to describe its love of cherries, and then, with a Dracula-like sweep of wings, it warns readers that no one should take its cherries. There follow several pages of humorous, fruit-bat bravado. Although there is no gender ascribed to Bat, many caregivers will feel an urge to read it in imitation of the legendary Bela Lugosi. As cherries disappear, readers see subtle evidence of which animals are taking them. Bat’s proclamation of eternal unhappiness is quickly reversed by a thief-engineered fruit replacement. Old and young alike will have to giggle at the bat’s show of speedy adaptability.
Excellent visual storytelling aligned with eloquent brevity. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6032-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hee haw.
The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle...
Making things is difficult work. Readers will recognize the stages of this young heroine’s experience as she struggles to realize her vision.
First comes anticipation. The artist/engineer is spotted jauntily pulling a wagonload of junkyard treasures. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, she begins drawing plans and building an assemblage. The narration has a breezy tone: “[S]he makes things all the time. Easy-peasy!” The colorful caricatures and creations contrast with the digital black outlines on a white background that depict an urban neighborhood. Intermittent blue-gray panels break up the white expanses on selected pages showing sequential actions. When the first piece doesn’t turn out as desired, the protagonist tries again, hoping to achieve magnificence. A model of persistence, she tries many adjustments; the vocabulary alone offers constructive behaviors: she “tinkers,” “wrenches,” “fiddles,” “examines,” “stares” and “tweaks.” Such hard work, however, combines with disappointing results, eventually leading to frustration, anger and injury. Explosive emotions are followed by defeat, portrayed with a small font and scaled-down figures. When the dog, whose expressions have humorously mirrored his owner’s through each phase, retrieves his leash, the resulting stroll serves them well. A fresh perspective brings renewed enthusiasm and—spoiler alert—a most magnificent scooter sidecar for a loyal assistant.
Spires’ understanding of the fragility and power of the artistic impulse mixes with expert pacing and subtle characterization for maximum delight. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55453-704-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: Feb. 25, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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