Appearances can be deceiving in this delightful tale.
Could Wolf and Little Lamb be making a huge mistake when they adopt a baby alligator?
After best friends Little Lamb and Wolf discover a large egg, Wolf envisions turning it into an omelet, but Little Lamb reminds him there’s a baby inside. They take the egg home, where it cracks open and a tiny alligator emerges. Little Lamb names the alligator Omelet, and he quickly attaches himself to Wolf, nibbling his ear and snuggling on his chest. Next morning, hungry Omelet trashes the kitchen and terrifies Wolf’s visiting friends—until he lathers them with “big, slobbery kiss[es].” Indeed, Omelet scares everyone until they realize just how friendly the little guy really is. Wolf assures them, “Omelet wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Badger disagrees, warning all that Omelet will gobble them up. When the river floods, the animals watch hopelessly as baby ducklings are swept away. Then Omelet surfaces, opens his huge jaws, and the ducklings disappear. Was Badger right, or is Omelet a hero? Playful cartoon illustrations, drawn with fine outlines and washed with cheery colors, rely on the wide-eyed, exaggerated facial expressions and body language of the animal characters to convey emotion and drama. Omelet may be an alligator, but he’s so darn cute, beguiling, and endearing, it’s easy to see why everyone loves him, despite his size, reptilian body, and toothy jaws.
Appearances can be deceiving in this delightful tale. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: April 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68010-245-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...
Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.
The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.
While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: June 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
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