An exciting marine adventure just right for reading aloud.
Down in the deep ocean, a young dolphin explores the beauty of the kelp forest and also discovers it has dangers.
In many places, the ocean floor harbors forests of kelp, which are home to many creatures, both large and small, including Dolphin. As the kelp dips and sways, Dolphin dances with a shoal of sardines. As the sea swells, the kelp ripples and Dolphin plays with sea lions. When the sea becomes stormy and rough, the kelp forest twists and corkscrews around everything in it. Although it is a sheltering place for many, from the diminutive sardines through tuna to a blue whale, predators have learned to hunt in the kelp forest for their sustenance. When Dolphin happens upon a great white shark and then an orca, he must struggle to survive. MacCarthy’s text is delightfully alliterative and onomatopoeic: “the giant kelp / twirls and twists, twirls and twists”; “zig zag zig zag / Dolphin dances for his life in the deep, dark kelp forest.” The powerful use of verbs adds to the drama of underwater sea life and will keep readers turning the pages. Her swirling paintings modulate in palette to suit the mood. The book ends with a fun challenge to young readers: Can you turn back and find the 36 sea creatures mentioned in the story? Each creature here is clearly labeled and identified as inhabiting California’s kelp forests.
An exciting marine adventure just right for reading aloud. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-91095-924-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Otter-Barry
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
A disappointing follow-up.
Inventor Izzy Gizmo is back in this sequel to her eponymous debut (2017).
While busily inventing one day, Izzy receives an invitation from the Genius Guild to their annual convention. Though Izzy’s “inventions…don’t always work,” Grandpa (apparently her sole caregiver) encourages her to go. The next day they undertake a long journey “over fields, hills, and waves” and “mile after mile” to isolated Technoff Isle. There, Izzy finds she must compete against four other kids to create the most impressive machine. The colorful, detail-rich illustrations chronicle how poor Izzy is thwarted at every turn by Abi von Lavish, a Veruca Salt–esque character who takes all the supplies for herself. But when Abi abandons her project, Izzy salvages the pieces and decides to take Grandpa’s advice to create a machine that “can really be put to good use.” A frustrated Izzy’s impatience with a friend almost foils her chance at the prize, but all’s well that ends well. There’s much to like: Brown-skinned inventor girl Izzy is an appealing character, it’s great to see a nurturing brown-skinned male caregiver, the idea of an “Invention Convention” is fun, and a sustainable-energy invention is laudable. However, these elements don’t make up for rhymes that often feel forced and a lackluster story.
A disappointing follow-up. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68263-164-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends.
Is it a stormy-night scare or a bedtime book? Both!
Little Blue Truck and his good friend Toad are heading home when a storm lets loose. Before long, their familiar, now very nervous barnyard friends (Goat, Hen, Goose, Cow, Duck, and Pig) squeeze into the garage. Blue explains that “clouds bump and tumble in the sky, / but here inside we’re warm and dry, / and all the thirsty plants below / will get a drink to help them grow!” The friends begin to relax. “Duck said, loud as he could quack it, / ‘THUNDER’S JUST A NOISY RACKET!’ ” In the quiet after the storm, the barnyard friends are sleepy, but the garage is not their home. “ ‘Beep!’ said Blue. ‘Just hop inside. / All aboard for the bedtime ride!’ ” Young readers will settle down for their own bedtimes as Blue and Toad drop each friend at home and bid them a good night before returning to the garage and their own beds. “Blue gave one small sleepy ‘Beep.’ / Then Little Blue Truck fell fast asleep.” Joseph’s rich nighttime-blue illustrations (done “in the style of [series co-creator] Jill McElmurry”) highlight the power of the storm and capture the still serenity that follows. Little Blue Truck has been chugging along since 2008, but there seems to be plenty of gas left in the tank.
A sweet reminder that it’s easy to weather a storm with the company and kindness of friends. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85213-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
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