A perfect picture book.
McKissack tells "a story from my youth, retold in the same rich and colorful language that was my grandfather's," a delicious reversal of Red Riding Hood that serves as parable of black outwitting white.
Flossie Finley is to carry eggs through the Tennessee forest to Miz Viola, watching out for the "ol' slickster" fox, who loves eggs. Flossie isn't scared, but "disremembers" ever seeing a fox, so when the fox introduces himself she remains unconvinced—through several delightful exchanges as the fox becomes more and more distraught at her lack of recognition ("I am a fox, and you will act accordingly." "…Unless you can show you a fox, I'll not accord you nothing!" and "I may never recover my confidence." "…You just an ol' confidencer"). The fox uses big, pretentious words, but Flossie's sly good humor gets him every time. Isadora's watercolor, ink and pencil illustrations fully realize the spirit of the text, with Flossie's sturdy, self-reliant stance and the fox growing progressively more tentative and defensive. Mellow green, lemon, rust and earth tones fill a safe, sun-dappled world.
A perfect picture book. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1986
ISBN: 978-0-8037-0250-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1986
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Please, let there be more adventures of Mac and Cheese, the Felix and Oscar of the early-reader world.
In this offering for emerging readers, Mac and Cheese, two cat friends, prove that opposites attract, even in the feline world.
Cheese, a grumpy marmalade tabby, would rather sleep on his trashcan than join Mac for a day at the sea. The day is hot, the bus will be by soon and the only thing standing between the cats and the beach is a little preparation. Despite Mac’s encouraging song (or perhaps because of it), Cheese does not want to go. When Mac agrees to stop singing, Cheese relents, sort of. Insisting a trip to the beach includes packing just about everything (food, clothing, toys, books, a boat), Cheese slows the process until the bus heads down the road and the friends are left behind. Though Mac’s little song (“Please, Cheese, please, / Come to the sea, / Come to the sea, Cheese, / Please with me”) does not trip easily off the tongue, the rest of the text is rhythmic, at times pleasantly reminiscent of Dr. Seuss, making it easy to read. Humorous watercolor illustrations, including full- and double-page spreads and such little details as allowing the whiskers and eyebrows to reflect feline feelings make this one new reader that will be eagerly read over and over.
Please, let there be more adventures of Mac and Cheese, the Felix and Oscar of the early-reader world. (Early reader. 4-8)Pub Date: March 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-117082-9
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2012
A gently comedic picture book for preschoolers and kindergartners with wiggly teeth.
Duck frantically searches for a friend’s lost tooth in this latest picture book from Mackenzie.
Piney Glen resident Duck finds his usually cozy existence interrupted when he receives a letter in his mailbox that reads: “Dear Duck, please come! I lost my tooth. Your friend, Rabbit.” Duck responds enthusiastically to this call to action, searching everywhere for the missing tooth. He encounters Badger in the meadow and enlists the animal’s help as they move toward the pond. Soon they happen upon Turtle, a comically slow speaker who recommends searching the woods. There, they discover Squirrel, who leads the ever-growing group toward the clearing. Mouse rereads the note there and urges the animal posse to visit Rabbit and ask him directly about his tooth. But the group’s plans are frustrated when they find that Rabbit had intended an entirely different scenario all along. This is a sweet, funny story about the consequences of a simple misunderstanding; it’s great for fans of A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh (1926), among other similar children’s stories. Mackenzie expertly balances advancing the narrative by repeating search scenes that reinforce the meanings of over, under, and aroundto help young readers build their prepositional vocabularies. Santoso’s soft-textured illustrations enhance the story and add humor, especially in the panels where Turtle joins the party but isn’t fast enough to keep up.
A gently comedic picture book for preschoolers and kindergartners with wiggly teeth.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393118
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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