An inspiring debut that highlights the importance of individuality and courage.
A boy ventures into the woods and witnesses the magical power of dance in this picture book.
While wandering in a forest, a youngster encounters “a grizzly bear dancing nimbly,” a “red fox twirling around a tree,” and a “bison teaching ballet” to other woodland creatures. The boy is introduced to both common animals (such as squirrels and raccoons) and rarely spotted ones (bighorn sheep, porcupines, and others), and he learns terms and movements associated with classical ballet, such as relevésand Pas de bourrées.” Soon, all the animals join a collective dance, and soon, “leaping lumberjacks” add some moves of their own. The little boy acknowledges that one can be both “strong and brave, and like ballet too.” Debut author MacElroy offers a quaint picture book that questions gender stereotypes via artful dance instruction. She indicates an essential harmony that people and animals share and hints that music has the ability to bring people together. The layout of the text is consistent throughout, resulting in a lovely flow that’s easy to follow. The subtle rhymes create an engaging story, while Dillard’s illustrations will capture readers with their detail and vibrant hues.
An inspiring debut that highlights the importance of individuality and courage.Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-989819-22-7
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Golden Brick Road Publishing House
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Hee haw.
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Totes adorbs.
A cuddly, squishy pug’s puggy-wuggy diary.
Equipped with both #pugunicorn and #pughotdog outfits, pug Baron von Bubbles (aka Bub) is the kind of dog that always dresses to impress. Bub also makes lots of memorable faces, such as the “Hey, you’re not the boss of me!” expression aimed at Duchess, the snooty pink house cat. Some of Bub’s favorite things include skateboarding, a favorite teddy, and eating peanut butter. Bub also loves Bella, who adopted Bub from a fair—it was “love at first sniff.” Together, Bub and Bella do a lot of arts and crafts. Their latest project: entering Bella’s school’s inventor challenge by making a super-duper awesome rocket. But, when the pesky neighborhood squirrel, Nutz, makes off with Bub’s bear, Bub accidentally ruins their project. How will they win the contest? More importantly, how will Bella ever forgive him? May’s cutesy, full-color cartoon art sets the tone for this pug-tastic romp for the new-to–chapter-books crowd. Emojilike faces accentuate Bub’s already expressive character design. Bub’s infectious first-person narration pushes the silly factor off the charts. In addition to creating the look and feel of a diary, the lined paper helps readers follow the eight-chapter story. Most pages have fewer than five sentences, often broken into smaller sections. Additional text appears in color-coded speech bubbles. Bella presents white.
Totes adorbs. (Fiction. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-53003-2
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
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