Doesn’t do proper justice to the poets, the pets, or the promising premise.
Sixteen short poems by, purportedly, the pets of as many poets.
Posing cutely alongside their doll-like owners in Sonke’s painted portraits, the furry, feathered, or scaly animal authors (most of whom are white) make a winsome gallery, though Johnston Taylor squanders most of their appeal. For one, they all sound alike in the poems despite their diversity of breeds and species. Moreover, the author does provide side introductions to both poets and pets, but any opportunities for wit or wordplay will be lost, since few of the poems she cites as her models are likely to be familiar to young audiences, and she doesn’t reproduce any of them here for comparison. Even exceptions such as a “Green Eggs and Ham” pastiche (“Hello! My name is Sam-I-Am. / Here, try a piece of purple yam”) and a few lines by Edgar Allan Poe’s cat on a certain raven’s fate—“Wings so black they blend with night, wings…to quell my appetite?!”—lack verve or originality. A fox standing outside Lucille Clifton’s door sending both a literal and metaphorical message about “embracing the wild” makes a memorable finale, but readers will have to hunt for hints of inventive language among the rest. Emily Dickinson’s Newfie panting “I’m Carlo! Who are you? / Are you a canine too?” may not be bad for a dog, but human poets need to work harder.
Doesn’t do proper justice to the poets, the pets, or the promising premise. (further reading, source list) (Picture book/poetry. 6-9)Pub Date: April 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781957655659
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Gnome Road Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
