by Peter Catalanotto ; illustrated by Peter Catalanotto ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2019
As delightful as any of the bounteous, monkey-filled books out there.
A third outing for friends Monkey and Robot spells all sorts of F-U-N.
Catalanotto continues the series’ usual formula: four stand-alone chapters peppered with the primate-machine odd couple’s antics. In the first chapter, Monkey asks Robot which day he was born. Robot says, “I was not born. I was built.” Since that “built-day” happens to be the next day, Monkey brainstorms aloud his wildest party ideas. Cake! Cookies! Balloons! Surprises! Despite Robot’s insistence that he doesn’t want to celebrate, Robot eventually goes along with the plan—and maybe even feels as special as Monkey wants him to. Other chapters cover a visit from an “ex-gladiator” (translation: exterminator), a birdsitting accident involving the neighbor’s parakeet, and a giggly, messy human baby. Though all four chapters practically bounce with silliness, there’s an overall groundedness that supports the overarching “I can fix it” theme. Black-and-white illustrations carry the text’s simple dialogue and occasional narration from panel to panel. On average, there are three or four panels per page. The few human side characters show some diversity in skin tone. Clothed, anthropomorphic Monkey’s childlike innocence and curiosity are spot-on—if a bit too human for pure comfort. One notable scene touches briefly on transracial adoption when Monkey asks why mother Tina, who presents white, looks different from baby Zhen, who is Chinese.
As delightful as any of the bounteous, monkey-filled books out there. (Graphic early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-939547-59-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Creston
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
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by Laurie Keller ; illustrated by Laurie Keller ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 20, 2016
Amusing, yes. Useful for reading practice, yes, but not necessarily guaranteed to make new readers the “read-i-est.” (Early...
Elephant and Piggie make an appearance to introduce the first in their new series, an egalitarian introduction to superlatives.
Each one of seven blades of talking grass—of a total of eight—discovers that it is superb at something: it’s tallest, curliest, silliest, and so forth. The humor aims to appeal to a broad spectrum. It is slightly disturbing that one being eaten by purple bugs is proud of being the crunchiest, but that will certainly appeal to a slice of the audience. The eighth blade of grass is grappling with a philosophical identity crisis; its name is Walt, a sly reference to Whitman's Leaves of Grass that will go right over the heads of beginning readers but may amuse astute parents or teachers. Tension builds with the approach of a lawn mower; the blades of grass lose their unique features when they are trimmed to equal heights. Mercifully, they are chopped off right above the eyes and can continue their silly banter. Departing from the image of a Whitman-esque free spirit, Walt now discovers he is the neatest. Lots of speech bubbles, repetition, and clear layout make this entry a useful addition to lessons on adjectives and superlatives while delivering a not-so-subtle message that everyone is good at something. Elephant and Piggie's final assertion that “this book is the FUNNIEST” doesn't necessarily make it so, however.
Amusing, yes. Useful for reading practice, yes, but not necessarily guaranteed to make new readers the “read-i-est.” (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4847-2635-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Hyperion
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
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by Jennifer L. Holm & illustrated by Matthew Holm ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 23, 2006
The little mouse with the big personality skips through a third set of mini trials and triumphs, presented in two-color graphic novel-style panels. Having daydreamed her way through the last day of school (“Good-bye, dumb fractions!”) and even cleaned out her locker, Babymouse bounds eagerly into the car for a getaway to the beach. But what with crowds, surfboard wipeouts, sunburn, the odd shark and trying to keep adoring little sibling Squeak at arm’s length (which isn’t quite far enough to avoid the fallout, so to speak, of occasional bouts of motion sickness), the vacation starts to look like a big fizzle: “Typical!” to quote Babymouse’s watchword. Pairing short bits of text in a “hand-lettered” font to small but clear scenes drawn with dark lines and pink highlights, the authors tell a quick, funny tale that ends on a warm note, with Babymouse discovering that wipeouts are more fun when shared with her biggest little fan. Emergent readers will cheer “Babymouse!” right along with Squeak. (Graphic novel. 6-8)
Pub Date: May 23, 2006
ISBN: 0-375-83231-9
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2006
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