An enjoyable tale, but one that should be read with parental guidance.
A little girl and a gadget get into some mischief in Keith and Gordon’s debut picture book.
Claire’s parents order a smart speaker that responds to requests. Her mother asks it to play NPR (Keith is an NPR correspondent), and her dad asks it to put things on the family’s shopping list. Because the speaker never says no, Claire secretly adds a wild assortment to the list, including a guitar, a robot, a Tesla, stickers, and even “poop”; in a relatable turn, she requests poop “a few more times because it made her laugh.” Soon, however, the items start showing up at the door. (Yes, including poop, which arrives as bags of manure.) Realizing her mistake, Claire confesses to her parents, and all the stuff is returned with one exception: a puppy. Overall, this book delivers a tale that’s amusing and fun. However, its ending, which seems to reward Claire’s mischief, may require grown-ups to advise young readers not to imitate the protagonist. Fiddy’s subdued watercolor illustrations are delightful and full of jokes for adults, such as a delivery truck from All Things Delivered. Claire and her family are all portrayed with a range of skin tones.
An enjoyable tale, but one that should be read with parental guidance.Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-73667-570-0
Page Count: 52
Publisher: Rock-It Publishing
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers.
Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
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