of self-discovery. (Picture book. 4-7)
Even for an elephant, Mort has too much on his plate. Kraus's pachyderm loves playing sports—all sorts of sports—and
his father is there to urge him on. His mother would like him to play the violin as well, to broaden his cultural horizons. Since Mort is a sport, he agrees to his mother's fancy. Practicing the violin and pursuing sports is logistically demanding, yet there is Mort sawing away at the violin while awaiting his turn at bat. All of this is fine until an overtaxed Mort starts to draw his bow across his bat and take cuts at the fastball with his violin. Confusion reigns, Mort's in a dither, and his parents come to realize that "we're putting too much pressure on Mort." So they ask him, "What do you want to play, baseball or the violin?" "Chess," he groans. "I want to sit down." Not surprisingly, he fast becomes champion of the world, which is not to say he wouldn't have excelled at his parents' chosen activities—it’s just nice to know the young sport has a sense of who he is. Himmelman’s illustrations are full of life and work well with Mort's dizzying predicament to yield a funny, approachable tale
of self-discovery. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-531-30247-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2000
Jeram brings back characters from Bunny, My Honey (1999) for this poignant tale about families. Although they are different species, the three friends—Bunny, Little Duckling, and Miss Mouse—form a unique family along with Mommy Rabbit. Instead of trying to make her “little Honeys” conform to some one ideal, the wise mother rabbit embraces their differences, incorporating their individuality into a special song created for the trio. Soft pastel illustrations capture both the playfulness of the threesome, and the loving bonds of the family. Through the song and the games the Honeys play, Jeram encourages readers to rejoice in diversity—a warm and timely message in a world full of complex and extended families. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0846-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1999
Dunbar (Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep, 1998, etc.) joins Helme Heine (The Most Wonderful Egg in the World, 1983) and Mary Jane Auch (The Easter Egg Farm, 1992) in serving up with gusto a cast of unusual egg producers. When Dora the duck announces “Tomorrow is Eggday,” Pogson the pig, Humphrey the horse, and Gideon the goat are puzzled as to how they will lay a pig egg, a horse egg, and a goat egg in their respective efforts to win the contest. The instructive Hetty Hen, a true egg-layer, quickly sets them straight, lending her own eggs, which they decorate for the contest. As expected, Dora the duck’s own egg hatches overnight, and she declares a new holiday—Duckling Day. Cabrera transforms the farmyard plot with a pleasingly free-form style and candy-bright colors. Every page bristles with color; brush strokes, dots, blots, and thumbprints create multi-layered scenes that fairly sing. (Picture book. 3-6)
Pub Date: March 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1510-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
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