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 good choice for a late fall storytime.
Animal behaviors change as they prepare to face the winter.
Migrate, hibernate, or tolerate. With smooth rhymes and jaunty illustrations, Salas and Gévry introduce three strategies animals use for coping with winter cold. The author’s long experience in imparting information to young readers is evident in her selection of familiar animals and in her presentation. Spread by spread she introduces her examples, preparing in fall and surviving in winter. She describes two types of migration: Hummingbirds and monarchs fly, and blue whales travel to the warmth of the south; earthworms burrow deeper into the earth. Without using technical words, she introduces four forms of hibernation—chipmunks nap and snack; bears mainly sleep; Northern wood frogs become an “icy pop,” frozen until spring; and normally solitary garter snakes snuggle together in huge masses. Those who can tolerate the winter still change behavior. Mice store food and travel in tunnels under the snow; moose grow a warmer kind of fur; the red fox dives into the snow to catch small mammals (like those mice); and humans put on warm clothes and play. The animals in the soft pastel illustrations are recognizable, more cuddly than realistic, and quite appealing; their habitats are stylized. The humans represent varied ethnicities. Each page includes two levels of text, and there’s further information in the extensive backmatter. Pair with Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen’s Winter Bees (2014).
A good choice for a late fall storytime. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-2900-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
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