A penguin finds out where he belongs in this gentle tale of the love between a boy and his favorite stuffed friend. Pangoo and Danny have been best friends since Danny was a baby. They do everything together, including a weekly visit to the penguins at the Central Park Zoo. But after Danny’s birthday party, Pangoo is left out of the crowd on Danny’s bed, sure that he is no longer loved. So, he decides to go live with the penguins at the zoo. But he doesn’t like the cold, he can’t swim and he has never eaten fish. Where does he belong? In the nick of time, Danny arrives to scoop him up and answer his question. The text’s short sentences are just right for those beginning to read on their own. Ichikawa’s watercolors tenderly paint the wonderful relationship between Danny and Pangoo, as well as the tumultuous feelings of the penguin when he believes he has been replaced. She also manages to convey a sense of the city. A nice addition to the stuffed-animal genre. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-399-23313-X
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2006
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
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