Humorous fare to welcome into storytime.
Can the new rooster overcome a language barrier to succeed at his job?
A rooster arrives in a new country to start his job rousing lodgers at the ZZZ Hotel and plans to crow the way he always has, with a hearty “OCKCAY AWAY OODLEDAY OODAY.” Unaccustomed to this call, the guests (depicted as anthropomorphic animals in the lively, cartoon-style digital art) stay fast asleep. When a second try fails to stir them, the rooster employs a megaphone. Instead of being grateful for the wake-up call, however, the animals respond with multilingual cries of protest before returning to sleep. The rooster is baffled—not to mention concerned about job security. To soothe himself and prepare for another move, he cooks up a big breakfast. As the aroma wafts into the hotel, the guests follow their noses to the feast. Now, instead of protesting, they praise the meal in different languages. Food is the great equalizer: “It was something everybody understood,” reads text on the penultimate spread, with an accompanying illustration showing a long line of animals in silhouette waiting to enter the hotel. Intraiconic menu text on the final spread introduces the “OCKCAY AWAY OODLEDAY OODAY DINER,” a new business spurred by the rooster’s culinary success and delivering a feel-good ending to this newcomer's tale. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Humorous fare to welcome into storytime. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 12, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5344-9345-2
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2022
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together.
A clueless duckling tries to make a new friend.
He is confused by this peculiar-looking duck, who has a long tail, doesn’t waddle and likes to be alone. No matter how explicitly the creature denies he is a duck and announces that he is a cat, the duckling refuses to acknowledge the facts. When this creature expresses complete lack of interest in playing puddle stomp, the little ducking goes off and plays on his own. But the cat is not without remorse for rejecting an offered friendship. Of course it all ends happily, with the two new friends enjoying each other’s company. Bramsen employs brief sentences and the simplest of rhymes to tell this slight tale. The two heroes are meticulously drawn with endearing, expressive faces and body language, and their feathers and fur appear textured and touchable. Even the detailed tree bark and grass seem three-dimensional. There are single- and double-page spreads, panels surrounded by white space and circular and oval frames, all in a variety of eye-pleasing juxtapositions. While the initial appeal is solidly visual, young readers will get the gentle message that friendship is not something to take for granted but is to be embraced with open arms—or paws and webbed feet.
A sweet, tender and charming experience to read aloud or together. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-86990-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Nov. 13, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2012
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.
A boy with wings learns to be himself and inspires others like him to soar, too.
Norman, a “perfectly normal” boy, never dreamed he might grow wings. Afraid of what his parents might say, he hides his new wings under a big, stuffy coat. Although the coat hides his wings from the world, Norman no longer finds joy in bathtime, playing at the park, swimming, or birthday parties. With the gentle encouragement of his parents, who see his sadness, Norman finds the courage to come out of hiding and soar. Percival (The Magic Looking Glass, 2017, etc.) depicts Norman with light skin and dark hair. Black-and-white illustrations show his father with dark skin and hair and his mother as white. The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story’s theme. While Norman tries to be “normal,” the world and people around him look black and gray, but his coat stands out in yellow. Birds pop from the page in pink, green, and blue, emphasizing the joy and beauty of flying free. The final spread, full of bright color and multiracial children in flight, sets the mood for Norman’s realization on the last page that there is “no such thing as perfectly normal,” but he can be “perfectly Norman.”
A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-68119-785-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2018
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