These precocious pups will appeal to a wide audience of dog lovers, including beginning readers and older readers.
A passel of pups play underwater at their own pool party in this simple story illustrated with high-quality photographs.
Casteel specializes in underwater photography of dogs and is best known for Underwater Dogs (2012), illustrated with his intriguing shots of dogs swimming. This volume presents a large cast of canines, both puppies and adult dogs, gathered together poolside. The short rhyming text follows the dogs as they enter the water, play with pool toys, and swim alone or in pairs. An attractive design uses blue tiles as the background for the photos, with the text set in large, easy-to-read type in white or navy blue. The photographs are clear and well-focused, with lots of action shots and close-ups of the dogs’ faces as they are swimming. Some of the dogs look happy, but several seem terrified, and there is one photo of a bug-eyed dog with mouth open and paws flailing that is downright scary. The storyline, such as it is, continues the pool-party theme as the dogs dry off after their swim, enjoying rest time in the sun. Two final pages present the “guest list” from the party, with the names and ages of the dogs next to thumbnail photos reprising the previous pages. An author’s note details the photographer’s methods in achieving his unusual photographs.
These precocious pups will appeal to a wide audience of dog lovers, including beginning readers and older readers. (Picture book. 3-10)Pub Date: June 7, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-37633-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2016
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.
A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.
Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: March 16, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.
In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.
Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”
A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 25, 2025
ISBN: 9780063387843
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025
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