Cat and cartoon lovers, as well as romance aficionados, will lap up this cheerful confection, but it may not offer enough...
A stray cat finds love with a pampered indoor purebred.
Luis, a black-and-white tuxedo cat who was rescued as a kitten from a burning building, is based “(unofficially) at the fire station” but roams freely. His life plying the streets is presented as a positive if somewhat unrealistic one: He finds food and affection easily everywhere. Then one fateful night he takes “a wrong turn” and spies Tabitha, a Himalayan, through a glass door. It’s love at first sight for the two cats, but Tabitha’s owner isn’t interested in allowing the romance to flourish. Luis tries subterfuge, which works briefly, then resigns himself to losing his love. A chance sighting that leads to a heroic rescue turns the tide, allowing for a happily-ever-after ending. Mengert’s retro cartoon-style illustrations have a vaguely Disney-esque feel, particularly in the depiction of Luis and his friends and the backgrounds, which include stylized urban skylines as well as attractive interiors and garden settings. Attitudes are clearly conveyed in the lift of a chin or the proud raising of a tail. The varying skin tones of firefighters and some bystanders add a soupçon of diversity (Tabitha’s owner presents white). Short sentences and occasional repetition give Campisi’s writing a pleasing rhythm, but the relatively lengthy text, predictable plot, and sophisticated vocabulary can make for slow going at times.
Cat and cartoon lovers, as well as romance aficionados, will lap up this cheerful confection, but it may not offer enough substance to tempt them to repeat readings. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-64170-040-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Familius
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade.
An ant explores her world.
Addie Ant’s ready for adventure. Despite some trepidation about leaving the Tomato Bed, where she lives with her aunt, she plucks up her courage and ventures forth across the garden to the far side of the shed. On her journey, she meets her pal Lewis Ladybug, who greets her warmly, points the way, and offers sage advice. When Addie arrives at her destination, she’s welcomed by lovely Beatrix Butterfly and enjoys an “ant-tastic” helping of watermelon. Beatrix also provides Addie with take-home treats and a map for the “Cricket Express,” which will take her straight home. Arriving at the terminal, Addie’s delighted to meet another friend, Cleo Cricket, whose carriage service returns Addie home in “two hops.” After eating a warm tomato soup dinner, Addie falls asleep and dreams of future exploits. Adorable though not terribly original, this story brims with sensuous pleasures, both textual and visual. Kids who declare that they dislike fruits or veggies may find their mouths watering at the mentions and sights of luscious tomatoes, peas, beans, watermelons, berries, and other foodstuffs; insect-averse readers may likewise think differently after encountering these convivial, wide-eyed characters. And those flowers and herbs everywhere! The highlights are the colors that burst from the pages. Addie’s an endearing, empowering character who reassures children they’ll be able to take those first independent steps successfully.
Young readers will be “antsy” to join the hero on her satisfying escapade. (author’s note about ants) (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9781797228914
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
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
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