A posh performance to read aloud or alone.
Using rhyming couplets set on clean, bright pages, Stockdale introduces 18 spectacular birds from around the world, imagining their plumage as clothes. The opening couplet reminds readers that all birds are “decked out in feathers.” A concluding paragraph reinforces the concept—only birds have feathers. Even the endpapers show feathers. From the European bee-eater (found in Africa, Europe, and western Asia) to Central and South America’s scarlet macaw, these striking birds pose in acrylic paintings, each resplendent in saturated colors and accompanied by its own imagined self-description. A suit, a scarf, an apron, even a fan, a crown, a train—these birds wear 18 different pieces of clothing or fashion accessories. The clever comparisons suggest a new way to see and remember these species. Some are familiar to U.S.–based readers (starling, cardinal, flicker) and some less so (marvellous spatuletail and resplendent quetzal). Three different birds of paradise show off astonishing tails. While some vocabulary might be challenging for a fledgling reader, the smoothly written couplets follow a predictable pattern (one long sentence, two short) and are set in a large font. As in Fantastic Flowers (2017), Bring on the Birds (2011), and other earlier works, the writer supplies thumbnails in the backmatter, with text identifying each bird, noting generally where it might be found, and explaining a bit more about its remarkable features. There’s even a match-the-colors-and-patterns puzzle.
A posh performance to read aloud or alone. (Informational picture book. 2-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68263-128-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2021
Simple, encouraging text, charming photographs, straightforward, unpretentious diversity, and adorable animals—what’s not to...
This entry-level early reader/picture book pairs children with farm animals.
Using a simple, effective template—a full-page photograph on the recto page and a bordered spot photo above the text on the verso—Rotner delivers an amiable picture book that presents racially and ethnically diverse kids interacting (mostly in the cuddling department) with the adult and baby animals typically found on a farm. Chickens, chicks, cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, pigs, piglets, cows, and calves are all represented. While a couple of double-page spreads show the larger adult animals—pigs and cows—without a child, most of the rest portray a delighted child hugging a compliant critter. The text, simple and repetitive, changes only the name for the animal depicted in the photo on that spread: “I like the cat”; “I like the piglet.” In this way, reading comprehension for new readers is supported in an enjoyable, appealing way, since the photo of the animal reinforces the new word. It’s hard to go wrong combining cute kids with adorable animals, but special kudos must be given for the very natural way Rotner has included diversity—it’s especially gratifying to see diversity normalized and validated early, at the same time that reading comprehension is taught.
Simple, encouraging text, charming photographs, straightforward, unpretentious diversity, and adorable animals—what’s not to like? (Picture book/early reader. 2-6)Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3833-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2017
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer.
Rotner follows up her celebrations of spring and autumn with this look at all things winter.
Beginning with the signs that winter is coming—bare trees, shorter days, colder temperatures—Rotner eases readers into the season. People light fires and sing songs on the solstice, trees and plants stop growing, and shadows grow long. Ice starts to form on bodies of water and windows. When the snow flies, the fun begins—bundle up and then build forts, make snowballs and snowmen (with eyebrows!), sled, ski (nordic is pictured), skate, snowshoe, snowboard, drink hot chocolate. Animals adapt to the cold as well. “Birds grow more feathers” (there’s nothing about fluffing and air insulation) and mammals, more hair. They have to search for food, and Rotner discusses how many make or find shelter, slow down, hibernate, or go underground or underwater to stay warm. One page talks about celebrating holidays with lights and decorations. The photos show a lit menorah, an outdoor deciduous tree covered in huge Christmas bulbs, a girl next to a Chinese dragon head, a boy with lit luminarias, and some fireworks. The final spread shows signs of the season’s shift to spring. Rotner’s photos, as always, are a big draw. The children are a marvelous mix of cultures and races, and all show their clear delight with winter.
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3976-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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