Provides a sweet animal story, an enjoyable entrée to cooking, and a fun family activity.
A wise owl suggests two lonely creatures open a forest restaurant.
In this illustrated children’s book, a little red fox named Liska is feeling sad because it’s time to leave her adoptive parent, Grandmother owl Sova. She took Liska in when her parents died after eating bad mushrooms. But the fox is now almost grown up, and she needs to dig her own burrow, with Grandma’s advice. Liska makes a cozy burrow, but because the nocturnal owl requires sleep during the day, the fox will need to find a daytime friend. She meets Volk, a wolf rejected by his pack for being a vegetarian. (Of course, wolves are carnivores.) Volk and Liska both love cooking and know many recipes, so Grandma gives them a great idea: “I think you should get together and open a pine tree restaurant for all the birds and beasts of the forest.” Etu the lark spreads the news, and many forest animals help to build the restaurant, where they enjoy a feast prepared by Liska and Volk. The restaurant is a huge success, and the two friends are lonely no more. Seven recipes of forest favorites are included in this first offering from the Get Together Books series. Usikova (Boris Wants a Dog, 2017, etc.) writes a charming little story, with small details that deliver an enchanted-forest atmosphere: “Beaver made a porch in the clearing. Moose beat down a path. Raccoons arranged the tables and chairs.” The author’s childlike illustrations in felt-tipped watercolor pens add naive appeal. Harvey (Boris Wants a Dog, 2017, etc.) translated the tale from the Russian. His recipes (for example, “Bunnies’ Cabbage & Carrot Pot Pies” and “Hedgehog’s Root & Nut Salad”) are clearly written, spelling out servings, prep and cooking time, equipment, and ingredients as well as step-by-step instructions. The difficulty level ranges from easy to moderate, and a note explains: “The recipes should be made with the company and supervision of an adult.” A vocabulary list is included, but no definitions (“use a dictionary, the internet or ask an adult”).
Provides a sweet animal story, an enjoyable entrée to cooking, and a fun family activity.Pub Date: July 21, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-329-19352-9
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Lulu.com
Review Posted Online: Aug. 7, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.
Willenbrock’s heartwarming debut picture book is the autobiographical story of how she came to share her home with a special shelter dog.
Told from the perspective of Marshall, Willenbrock’s dog, this tale tells of his unpleasant life in the home of a dog hoarder, where food for the dogs was so scarce that they fought each other at mealtime. In one of these fights, Marshall’s front leg was broken and his face was badly bitten. When animal rescuers finally found out about the animal hoarder and took the dogs away, Marshall was in such sorry shape that they didn’t know if he would make it. He ended up losing his damaged front leg and his face remained badly scarred, yet he describes the compassion of the humane society workers who helped him learn how to walk and run on three legs. He meets his new “mom” (owner) and adjusts to a life of freedom with her and her other dog, Mooshy. Though life is good, Marshall is insecure and nervous about how other dogs and people will react to the fact that he has only three legs and a big scar on his face, but he’s pleasantly surprised by the kindness of others. Heimbaugh’s realistic colored-pencil illustrations help bring Marshall’s story to life. Due to wordiness and the use of some bigger words—celebrity, socialize, limitations—this book will most likely work better as a read-aloud with school-age children. It also lends itself to discussions about the humane treatment of animals and discussions about bullying.
An enjoyable picture book that addresses important issues in a kid-friendly way without being preachy.Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615666259
Page Count: 40
Publisher: The Marshall Movement
Review Posted Online: Oct. 9, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.
Three friends unravel old secrets lurking beneath the surface of a picture-perfect town in this young adult mystery.
Fallon and her best friend, Blair, live in the town of Whitford, a “sort of old fashioned” place where “everyone knows everyone else.” Nothing ever goes wrong there, except for local 16-year-old girls’ penchant for drowning in Whitford Pond on their 16th birthdays. That is, nothing ever goes wrong until Blair, Fallon and their new friend Lila start investigating the drownings as part of a history project. Soon after the girls paddle out to the spooky island at the middle of the pond where its victims are buried, Fallon discovers that she’s related to the pond’s first victim: Elizabeth Mason, who was engaged to the prosperous son of the town jeweler before her supposed suicide in 1750. By poking around the town historical society and badgering Fallon’s lively grandmother, Nana, the girls realize that something sinister lurks beneath Whitford’s bucolic surface. It’s only when the trio heads to the fourth floor of Whitford’s public library in search of A Genealogy of the Noble Families of Whitford: A History that they realize their quest is putting them in danger. Blair and Fallon’s friendship feels comfortable and credible, although the addition of “exotic” Lila seems like a strained plot device rather than a real-life event. Indeed, much of the plotting is convenient rather than clever; the girls’ discoveries primarily result from pushing Nana to give them information or snooping around Nana’s house—and the developments that aren’t related to Nana are foreshadowed so heavily that they come as no surprise. Another distraction: Every time that the inhabitants of Whitford scream or emphasize a turn of phrase, Fredo uses capital letters. They’re are unnecessary, for example, when Fallon says, “I JUST HAD THE BEST IDEA EVER!”
Unanswered questions and heavy-handed writing drain intrigue from this not-so-spooky story.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 172
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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