A charming picture book for the very young, whether or not they are fussy about clothes.
A little owl struggles with accessory problems.
Little Owl lives with his Mommy in a tree house on the edge of the city park. He loves all the things little owls usually love: doing arithmetic, eating ice cream and riding a scooter. There is one flaw in this idyllic scenario: He does not love his new scarf. It is too long, too orange and too itchy. His mother insists that he wear it. He does his best to surreptitiously “lose” the scarf, by using it as a ribbon for a present for Grandpa and by putting it in a suitcase bound for Peru, but Mommy always seems to find it. Until one day…Little Owl returns from a trip to the zoo, minus the hated scarf. This piece of bad luck turns out to be an opportunity for a bit of mother-child bonding. This time, Mommy lets her son choose the yarn for a new scarf, a tasteful blue, and Little Owl is much happier. The new scarf is soft, the right length and not orange. The mystery of where the orange scarf went is revealed in the last picture, sure to elicit chuckles. Feeney’s naïve pencil-and-duotone illustrations, which use printmaking techniques to add interesting textures, complement the simple narrative and gentle message; both pacing and subtle adjustments to Little Owl’s expression add humor.
A charming picture book for the very young, whether or not they are fussy about clothes. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: June 11, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-449-81411-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
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Another ideal story for newly hatched readers.
Happy Cat and his neighbors return for another early reader (Happy Cat, 2013).
“Cat liked fish.” The smiling kitty descends from his attic apartment past the apartments of artist Parrot and musician Elephant, past reading Dog and gardening Rabbit and hungry Mouse. “Cat went out.” He sees a trumpet in a window and goes in the shop. He sees books out in front of a store and goes in there too. He goes in and out of several more stores populated by grinning animals of all types across a quaint town in autumn, and he returns with quite a few purchases. Turns out, he has purchased something for each of his neighbors (readers glean this from the illustrations), and all are happy—including Cat, of course. Henry returns to the I Like to Read series with his smiling orange tabby. In 20 words and with many visual cues in the bright and friendly watercolor illustrations, he tells a simple shopping story. Repetition of the one- and (extremely few) two-syllable words will build confidence in readers just starting out, and the heavy-outlined, full-bleed illustrations offer myriad details to catch the eye and extend the story.
Another ideal story for newly hatched readers. (Early reader. 3-5)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3385-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015
While children should not expect a Bully Goat to change his ways so quickly, this does provide them with some tools against...
Llama Llama loves the fun things he gets to do at school, but will a Bully Goat ruin his day?
Writing, drawing, counting, playing with clay, singing songs during circle time—what’s not to love about school? Well, being called names and laughed at for clapping and singing along, for one thing. Being the target of sand that’s kicked and dirt that’s thrown for another. Teacher has already made it clear that Gilroy Goat’s name-calling will not be tolerated, but Teacher isn’t near the sandbox. What will Llama Llama and Nelly Gnu do? Stand up to him, of course: “Gilroy, this is not OK. / Stop it, or we’ll go away.” They then walk away and tell a teacher. After Gilroy’s requisite lecture and long timeout, kindly Llama Llama approaches him, offering to let him play. While the resolution is too pat, and everyone gets over their feelings unbelievably quickly, still, Dewdney’s lovable Llama Llama offers children one strategy to combat bullying, all couched in her trademark rhyming verse and presented through situations that are sure to resonate with those new-to-school. Her textured oil, colored-pencil and oil-pastel illustrations shine when portraying the animals’ faces—joy, discomfort, surprise, anger, stubbornness, disappointment are all crystal-clear on them.
While children should not expect a Bully Goat to change his ways so quickly, this does provide them with some tools against bullying. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-670-01395-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 25, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2013
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BOOK REVIEW
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