Lift-the-flap factoids and a Ms. Frizzle wannabe form the gimmicks obviously designed to make this effort stand out from a crowded pack—with limited success. “Angel Finn” narrates this compendium of shark facts, beginning with a quick physical description and ending with the news that “many sharks are now endangered.” In between, readers are treated to discussions of prehistoric sharks, shark habitats, feeding habits and reproduction, in no discernible progression. The lift-the-flap elements pose questions that may or may not have occurred to readers (“Why do sharks bite metal cages?”) and reveal answers in a forced attempt to draw kids in—and they’re flimsy, to boot. Angel, a cartoony sketch with long blonde hair, appears placed against full-bleed photographs, some computer-generated (although no acknowledgement of this is made in the text). Most photographs feature gaping, toothy mouths. All in all, it’s a model of sensationalism in science books for kids, and lacking both the gravitas and the artistry of Nicola Davies’s Surprising Sharks (2003) or Jim Arnosky’s All About Sharks (2003). This offering is the very definition of “additional purchase.” (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: July 18, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7534-6064-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Kingfisher
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2007
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note.
Little Honey Bunny Funnybunny loves baseball almost as much as she loves her big brother P.J.—though it’s a close-run thing.
Readers familiar with the pranks P.J. plays on his younger sibling in older episodes of the series (most illustrated by Roger Bollen) will be amused—and perhaps a little confused—to see him in the role of perfect big brother after meeting his swaddled little sister for the first time in mama’s lap. But here, along with being a constant companion and “always happy to see her,” he cements his heroic status in her eyes by hitting a home run for his baseball team and then patiently teaching her how to play T-ball. After carefully coaching her and leading her through warm-up exercises, he even sits in the stands, loudly cheering her on as she scores the winning run in her own very first game. “‘You are the best brother a bunny could ever have!’” she burbles. This tale’s a tad blander compared with others centered on P.J. and his sister, but it’s undeniably cheery, with text well structured for burgeoning readers. The all-smiles animal cast in Bowers’ cartoon art features a large and diversely hued family of bunnies sporting immense floppy ears as well as a multispecies crowd of furry onlookers equally varied of color, with one spectator in a wheelchair.
A tale of mutual adoration that hits a sweet note. (Early reader. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2026
ISBN: 9798217032464
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Rylant (Henry and Mudge and the Sneaky Crackers, 1998, etc.) slips into a sentimental mode for this latest outing of the boy and his dog, as she sends Mudge and Henry and his parents off on a camping trip. Each character is attended to, each personality sketched in a few brief words: Henry's mother is the camping veteran with outdoor savvy; Henry's father doesn't know a tent stake from a marshmallow fork, but he's got a guitar for campfire entertainment; and the principals are their usual ready-for-fun selves. There are sappy moments, e.g., after an evening of star- gazing, Rylant sends the family off to bed with: ``Everyone slept safe and sound and there were no bears, no scares. Just the clean smell of trees . . . and wonderful green dreams.'' With its nice tempo, the story is as toasty as its campfire and swaddled in Stevenson's trusty artwork. (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-689-81175-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1998
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