Yea, Bridget.
The author of Boodil, My Dog (1992) offers another of her offbeat stories.
This one, a shaggy-wolf tale about a milquetoast turned commander-in-chief of a pack of wild carnivores, has just the right measure of topsy-turvy, oddball humor. Bridget is a little fraidy cat: she doesn’t like to pet dogs or jump over mud puddles or muck around with worms. She toes the straight-and-narrow when it comes to the daycare teachers’ directives. Then she goes and gets lost on a field trip into the forest, even though she was doing just what she was told. Next thing you know, she’s deep in the purpling woods of dusk, and sets of yellow eyes are peering at her from behind trees. They turn out to belong to a pack of wolves, but wolves of a different stripe. They truck to Bridget’s every order—don’t ask why, just enjoy watching as she puts them through a series of drills disguised as games, playing catch-the-pine cone (until one of them chokes), climb-the-trees (they’re not too good at getting down), and hospital (they like being scratched behind the ears). They even like her mud-and-blueberry pie, which is just what they need before hitting the hay (after a visit to the “pee trees,” that is). Next morning, they direct her out of the woods and back to her daycare center. Who’d have thought it: wolves, a girl’s best friends. Lindenbaum’s comical, off-center art offers a sight never before seen in American picture books: wolves peeing on trees. And the text offers another rarity: droll and ironic humor for children.
Yea, Bridget. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2001
ISBN: 91-29-65395-9
Page Count: 24
Publisher: R&S/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
There’s nothing especially new here, but the good-natured celebration of books, reading, and libraries will charm fellow...
A porcine hoarder of books learns to read—and to share.
The Book Hog’s obsession is clear from the start. Short declarative sentences describe his enthusiasm (“The Book Hog loved books”), catalog the things he likes about the printed page, and eventually reveal his embarrassing secret (“He didn’t know how to read”). While the text is straightforward, plenty of amusing visual details will entertain young listeners. A picture of the Book Hog thumbing through a book while seated on the toilet should induce some giggles. The allusive name of a local bookshop (“Wilbur’s”) as well as the covers of a variety of familiar and much-loved books (including some of the author’s own) offer plenty to pore over. And the fact that the titles become legible only after our hero learns to read is a particularly nice touch. A combination of vignettes, single-page illustrations and double-page spreads that feature Pizzoli’s characteristic style—heavy black outlines, a limited palette of mostly salmon and mint green, and simple shapes—move the plot along briskly. Librarians will appreciate the positive portrayal of Miss Olive, an elephant who welcomes the Book Hog warmly to storytime, though it’s unlikely most will be able to match her superlative level of service.
There’s nothing especially new here, but the good-natured celebration of books, reading, and libraries will charm fellow bibliophiles, and the author’s fans will enjoy making another anthropomorphic animal friend. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-368-03689-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2018
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