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EASY STREET

Name: EASY STREET
Author: Rita Gray
ISBN: 0-525-47657-1

by Rita Gray & illustrated by Mary Bono ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2006

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For those who ever thought making a road was a simple process, Gray will show you to think again; easy street is all but easy to fashion. Bono’s road crew—three-dimensional, clay-like characters, all button-nosed and busyness—demonstrate the steps necessary to lay an asphalt roadway. Road-building is an act of many parts, but as Gray tells it in his minimal rhyme, it is also a straightforward affair: one layer goes upon another, dirt then gravel then “Asphalt, asphalt, cooked with heat. / Pouring out a slice of street. / Sticky street, soft to spread. / Squeeze it out like jam on bread.” Always, there is the road maker’s refrain: “Roll it, roll it, wheels so fat. / Roll it down to make it flat.” Complementing the read-aloud bounce of the text is an afterword that explains the importance of compaction, the composition of aggregate and the origin of the word “asphalt.” And who won’t be intrigued by the fact that mixed in with all the tar is a good measure of dinosaur bones? (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: June 1, 2006

ISBN: 0-525-47657-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2006

Categories:

CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
WHEN THE WORLD IS DREAMING
by Rita Gray ; illustrated by Kenard Pak

- BOOK REVIEW
FLOWERS ARE CALLING
by Rita Gray ; illustrated by Kenard Pak

- BOOK REVIEW
HAVE YOU HEARD THE NESTING BIRD?
by Rita Gray ; illustrated by Kenard Pak

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BEAR CAME ALONG

by Richard T. Morris ; illustrated by LeUyen Pham ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2019

To quote one particularly joyous double-page spread, “Oh, what a ride!”

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A succession of forest creatures—and even the river itself—learn from one another and validate their relationships with both one another and the wider world.

The simplicity of the text and the stylized, comical creatures belie the depth of the message that comes through for even the youngest of readers: We are all in this together, and our differences strengthen our unity. The river “didn’t know it was a river…until” Bear accidentally begins riding down it on a piece of broken tree trunk. Bear in turn doesn’t realize he is on an adventure until Froggy lands on his back; lonely Froggy doesn’t know how many friends she has until the wary Turtles show up on the ever-more-swiftly-moving log; the Turtles learn how to enjoy the ride when Beaver climbs aboard; and so on through several more characters until they are all at the brink of a waterfall. Outstanding art perfectly complements the text, showing the animals’ differing personalities while also using color, space, and patterns to create appealing scenery. There are several hilarious double-page spreads, including one from the animals’ collective perspective, showing solely the various feet on the tree-trunk–cum-raft at the waterfall’s edge, and one requiring a 90-degree turn, showing the plummeting animals as they reach for one another—some looking worried and others, like Duck and Beaver, obviously enjoying the sudden drop.

To quote one particularly joyous double-page spread, “Oh, what a ride!” (author’s note, illustrator’s note) (Picture book. 2-5)

Pub Date: June 4, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-316-46447-5

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: March 11, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
TWO BROTHERS, ONE TAIL
by Richard T. Morris ; illustrated by Jay Fleck

- BOOK REVIEW
FEAR THE BUNNY
by Richard T. Morris ; illustrated by Priscilla Burris

- BOOK REVIEW
SHEEP 101
by Richard T. Morris ; illustrated by LeUyen Pham

- PERSPECTIVES
In Praise of the Physical Picture Book

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ORANGE EXCAVATOR

by Kersten Hamilton ; illustrated by Valeria Petrone ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 23, 2022

Especially for fans of big trucks and machinery.

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When hard work needs to get done, who’re you gonna call?

Young construction-vehicle mavens will enjoy this fun romp that takes them through a cheery bright-orange excavator’s typical workday: crushing garbage and loading it into a dump truck; helping with the installation of a new water pipe after the old one broke and spewed water through a city street; and digging a deep, wide hole in which to plant the mayor’s new tree. Through all these tough, painstaking tasks, the excavator “wears” an ever present smiling face, headlights standing in for large, bright eyes. Jaunty verses that mostly read and scan well narrate the brisk proceedings, and listeners are likely to want to chime in whenever the excavator’s assistance is called for in refrains such as “We need you, Orange Excavator!”—set in orange type, of course. The unfamiliar word excavator in itself should excite little ones because of its length, juicy mouth feel, and aural appeal. Kids will also appreciate the lively, though generic, illustrations; enhancing visual interest are several words throughout set in larger, colored capitals. The excavator’s driver is brown-skinned; other workers and passersby are diverse in skin tone and age. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Especially for fans of big trucks and machinery. (Board book. 2-4)