An engaging tale that offers important lessons about friendship for young readers.
A mischievous little monkey and a grumpy gorilla get into trouble and confront life-changing situations in the Amazon rain forest in Newcomer’s picture book.
Marlin the monkey and Garth the gorilla are two of the many animals that live in the Amazon rain forest. Told in seven “episodes,” the story follows the pair as they have numerous adventures. They initially clash, as “Marlin’s life was all about fun, fun, fun,” while “Garth was a very big gorilla…very strong, very mean, very ugly, and he didn't like monkeys.” Marlin lives to irritate Garth, but when a practical joke goes awry and Garth falls out of a tree and breaks his leg, Marlin must quickly grow up and help his former enemy survive by bringing him food. The experience leads them to become good friends, and as they support each other, they learn things about their families and life histories, conquer their fears, and meet new love interests. They also learn other lessons in the jungle, as when Marlin tells a group of parrots that they should apologize to a toucan for making fun of how she looks. Told in clear prose with plenty of humor and dialogue, Newcomer’s debut will be engaging for young readers. The action is dramatic—featuring long-lost triplet siblings, captured parents, and tragic deaths—but hums right along and ties into broader themes of friendship and belonging. Marlin will be a particularly relatable character for young readers who can’t seem to stay out of trouble, while quieter children may see themselves in Garth, who appreciates silence and just wants to find another gorilla to be with because his species isn’t native to South America. Colorful cartoon illustrations scattered throughout effectively reflect the action of the story and help break up long blocks of text. Despite all the drama, the ending neatly wraps up the story and provides a satisfying conclusion.
An engaging tale that offers important lessons about friendship for young readers.Pub Date: June 1, 2015
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 41
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Review Posted Online: Aug. 8, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A joyful celebration.
Families in a variety of configurations play, dance, and celebrate together.
The rhymed verse, based on a song from the Noodle Loaf children’s podcast, declares that “Families belong / Together like a puzzle / Different-sized people / One big snuggle.” The accompanying image shows an interracial couple of caregivers (one with brown skin and one pale) cuddling with a pajama-clad toddler with light brown skin and surrounded by two cats and a dog. Subsequent pages show a wide array of families with members of many different racial presentations engaging in bike and bus rides, indoor dance parties, and more. In some, readers see only one caregiver: a father or a grandparent, perhaps. One same-sex couple with two children in tow are expecting another child. Smart’s illustrations are playful and expressive, curating the most joyful moments of family life. The verse, punctuated by the word together, frequently set in oversized font, is gently inclusive at its best but may trip up readers with its irregular rhythms. The song that inspired the book can be found on the Noodle Loaf website.
A joyful celebration. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22276-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: Nov. 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2020
Continuing to find inspiration in the work of Virginia Lee Burton, Munro Leaf and other illustrators of the past, Long (The Little Engine That Could, 2005) offers an aw-shucks friendship tale that features a small but hardworking tractor (“putt puff puttedy chuff”) with a Little Toot–style face and a big-eared young descendant of Ferdinand the bull who gets stuck in deep, gooey mud. After the big new yellow tractor, crowds of overalls-clad locals and a red fire engine all fail to pull her out, the little tractor (who had been left behind the barn to rust after the arrival of the new tractor) comes putt-puff-puttedy-chuff-ing down the hill to entice his terrified bovine buddy successfully back to dry ground. Short on internal logic but long on creamy scenes of calf and tractor either gamboling energetically with a gaggle of McCloskey-like geese through neutral-toned fields or resting peacefully in the shade of a gnarled tree (apple, not cork), the episode will certainly draw nostalgic adults. Considering the author’s track record and influences, it may find a welcome from younger audiences too. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-399-25248-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2009
SEEN & HEARD
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
