by Sarah Cullen & Carmen Ellis ; illustrated by theillustrators.com.au ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 7, 2020
A lively and approachable animal tale about creative solutions and friendship.
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A narwhal cavorts with different sea creatures in this rhyming picture book.
Nellie, a narwhal, seeks friends and adventure. But her fellow sea creatures rebuke her requests to play. Harper, a whale, tells Nellie she is too small to splash her tail. Bill, a juggling octopus, says: “You’re a nice narwhal. I do think you’re great. / But you have no arms, and you see I have eight.” Tommy, a turtle, remarks that Nellie lacks the shell necessary for playing hide-and-seek. Disappointed, Nellie thinks of new ways the others might enjoy playing with her. She explains to Harper that they can splash their tails regardless of size. When she visits Bill, he uses his extra arms to play a tickling game. Finally, Nellie shares a game idea with Tommy: “You see this seaweed I’ve tied in a loop? You can throw it onto my tusk like a hoop.” The upbeat text asserts: “Nellie and all her friends could now see / It’s alright when you do things differently.” Cullen and Ellis’ message underscoring the celebration of differences is evident, if didactic. Still, it is appropriate for young readers. The images by theillustrators.com.au feature graphic, cartoonlike creatures with large eyes and an appealing backdrop of undersea activity in aquatic hues. The enjoyable book includes “Nellie’s Ocean Trivia,” offering five multiple-choice questions relevant to the story, such as “What kind of animal is a turtle?”
A lively and approachable animal tale about creative solutions and friendship.Pub Date: May 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-648-84980-3
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Bowker
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by Craig Smith ; illustrated by Katz Cowley ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2010
Hee haw.
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The print version of a knee-slapping cumulative ditty.
In the song, Smith meets a donkey on the road. It is three-legged, and so a “wonky donkey” that, on further examination, has but one eye and so is a “winky wonky donkey” with a taste for country music and therefore a “honky-tonky winky wonky donkey,” and so on to a final characterization as a “spunky hanky-panky cranky stinky-dinky lanky honky-tonky winky wonky donkey.” A free musical recording (of this version, anyway—the author’s website hints at an adults-only version of the song) is available from the publisher and elsewhere online. Even though the book has no included soundtrack, the sly, high-spirited, eye patch–sporting donkey that grins, winks, farts, and clumps its way through the song on a prosthetic metal hoof in Cowley’s informal watercolors supplies comical visual flourishes for the silly wordplay. Look for ready guffaws from young audiences, whether read or sung, though those attuned to disability stereotypes may find themselves wincing instead or as well.
Hee haw. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-26124-1
Page Count: 26
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2018
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by Christopher Denise ; illustrated by Christopher Denise ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2022
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn.
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A young owl achieves his grand ambition.
Owl, an adorably earnest and gallant little owlet, dreams of being a knight. He imagines himself defeating dragons and winning favor far and wide through his brave exploits. When a record number of knights go missing, Owl applies to Knight School and is surprisingly accepted. He is much smaller than the other knights-in-training, struggles to wield weapons, and has “a habit of nodding off during the day.” Nevertheless, he graduates and is assigned to the Knight Night Watch. While patrolling the castle walls one night, a hungry dragon shows up and Owl must use his wits to avoid meeting a terrible end. The result is both humorous and heartwarming, offering an affirmation of courage and clear thinking no matter one’s size…and demonstrating the power of a midnight snack. The story never directly addresses the question of the missing knights, but it is hinted that they became the dragon’s fodder, leaving readers to question Owl’s decision to befriend the beast. Humor is supplied by the characters’ facial expressions and accented by the fact that Owl is the only animal in his order of big, burly human knights. Denise’s accomplished digital illustrations—many of which are full bleeds—often use a warm sepia palette that evokes a feeling of antiquity, and some spreads feature a pleasing play of chiaroscuro that creates suspense and drama.
A charming blend of whimsy and medieval heroism highlighting the triumph of brains over brawn. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 15, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-316-31062-8
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books
Review Posted Online: Dec. 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2022
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