Tongue-in-cheek humor and stylized illustrations should make this appealing to sophisticated young listeners.
In this French import, a natty group of animal friends congregates on the back of Fossil the crocodile, engaging in everyday activities while piling on top of one another in various configurations.
Fossil, a long, light-green crocodile wearing a checked shirt, striped pants, and black-and-white spectator shoes, poses peacefully in the first double-page spread. Readers are told that he “loves the quiet.” His tranquility is short-lived, however, as his friends traipse toward him in a slow parade. From Fippo the hippo all the way to Otto the octopus, all of the animals are named and pictured on the endpapers, except for one who shows up on the copyright page. They advance from the left and climb up on Fossil and one another. Meanwhile, the slyly humorous text continues to describe Fossil’s preference for “be[ing] alone. / Away from all the racket and hubbub.” Given the limited, albeit ironically amusing, text and relatively static illustrations, apparently created in pen and ink and colored pencil, the book’s appeal relies on close examination of the pictures’ quirky details. Colors are mostly muted, but pattern abounds, adding interest. The revelation that “Crocodiles are “quick…[and] fierce…even in books!” may inspire a frisson of suspense, but Fossil’s friends (and readers) are quickly reassured.
Tongue-in-cheek humor and stylized illustrations should make this appealing to sophisticated young listeners. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-61689-610-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2017
BOOK REVIEW
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade.
An ant explores her world.
Addie Ant’s ready for adventure. Despite some trepidation about leaving the Tomato Bed, where she lives with her aunt, she plucks up her courage and ventures forth across the garden to the far side of the shed. On her journey, she meets her pal Lewis Ladybug, who greets her warmly, points the way, and offers sage advice. When Addie arrives at her destination, she’s welcomed by lovely Beatrix Butterfly and enjoys an “ant-tastic” helping of watermelon. Beatrix also provides Addie with take-home treats and a map for the “Cricket Express,” which will take her straight home. Arriving at the terminal, Addie’s delighted to meet another friend, Cleo Cricket, whose carriage service returns Addie home in “two hops.” After eating a warm tomato soup dinner, Addie falls asleep and dreams of future exploits. Adorable though not terribly original, this story brims with sensuous pleasures, both textual and visual. Kids who declare that they dislike fruits or veggies may find their mouths watering at the mentions and sights of luscious tomatoes, peas, beans, watermelons, berries, and other foodstuffs; insect-averse readers may likewise think differently after encountering these convivial, wide-eyed characters. And those flowers and herbs everywhere! The highlights are the colors that burst from the pages. Addie’s an endearing, empowering character who reassures children they’ll be able to take those first independent steps successfully.
Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade. (author’s note about ants) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781797228914
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
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