A cute collection of surface-level vignettes about a little lost sheep who finds love.
A spirited lost sheep lives with several human families in this painterly debut picture book by author/illustrator Huth.
When a tiny lamb is born but cannot find her mother, she looks for another animal to take care of her. Miss Boots finds the lamb, whom she calls Bummer (the term for a lost lamb), among her goats. Unable to rescue the lamb herself, she enlists her neighbor boy Kinder to take the lamb home. There, Bummer finds a family among the chickens, Kinder and his mother until she grows up and discovers a nearby vineyard. A third family takes on the sheep, and while Bummer has trouble fitting in with the older sheep, she’s ready to befriend all the new arrivals. Proud of her wool, Bummer avoids the shearing station, but eventually, she realizes that she’s better off without her heavy wool in the warm weather. More a series of vignettes than a single story, this picture book meanders through Bummer’s experiences without delving into any of them. Bummer doesn’t develop enough as a character to be considered a hero, and the humans are too tangentially present to play that role. The sheep’s lesson in making friends or in not being afraid to be sheared might resonate with young readers, but with such a brief telling, children might instead focus on the painterly illustrations. The detail in the paintings is uneven; some are more abstract, and some are like sketches. Huth is at her best depicting Bummer among other farm animals, and the chickens are particularly convincing. The only diversity among the human characters is age, which may be because the tale is based on a true story. Lap readers may enjoy this quiet book or invent further adventures for Bummer on their own, creating details where the book leaves them out.
A cute collection of surface-level vignettes about a little lost sheep who finds love.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 978-0-916754-35-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Filsinger & Company, Ltd.
Review Posted Online: June 6, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.
A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.
Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.
Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)Pub Date: July 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-77253-3
Page Count: 16
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
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