Wonderful.
Spring fever strikes even the rodents. And who knows where the heart leads?
"Spring is such a funny thing—it wakes up all the plants / And makes our furry woodland friends go cuckoo for romance." Indeed. One day, when Miss Mousie is shopping at the mole's deli, her heart stops at the sight of rakish Matt LaBatt (the water rat), who looks suave (and très Français) in striped shirt and kerchief. She can barely speak...or squeak. "Her little legs went weak." When she drops her hankie to catch his attention, Matt calls her fat, which brings tears to her eyes and sends her to bed for a day. What brings her out of sadness is an anonymous invitation to dinner; of course she knows just who it is! She dresses to the nines, and all the animals applaud her as she walks excitedly to her date. But the would-be suitor is not Matt the water rat; it's the kind mole who owns the deli. He tries all manner of slick techniques to woo her, and they fall comically flat. But in the end, he pledges to be himself if she will do the same. Her reply? "Oui-oui." Beiser's sprightly text has warmth, heart and a valuable lesson. Berman's pictures, in watercolor and gouache on rag, suggest Beatrix Potter, ably matching the crisp elegance of the story.
Wonderful. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-77049-251-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Tundra Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 14, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
After being absent from the trade market for a while, Mayer returns with this wordless book and his well-known “monster” touches. Panels and cartoon strips narrate this aquatic adventure, as a young octopus climbs up a fishing line into a rhino’s creel. On shore, the startled rhino flings the octopus, which lands on the head of a city parks worker, who sweeps him accidentally into a water pitcher in a restaurant. Aha, the plot thickens when the octopus is discovered by the walrus chef, and a comical chase ensues through the town. A “No Fishing Today” sign rescues the octopus from the soup pot, sending him home to Mama. The digital cartoon illustrations energetically animate the action with visual puns and slapstick details highlighting Mayer’s recognizable line work: The rhino fisherman has a Mom tattoo; a blimp flying over the ocean asks, “Got Gas?” Pacing and facial expressions extend the comedy in masterly fashion. This is not a variation on the familiar folk tale of Stone Soup (adding something to nothing) but Mayer’s own maritime madcap mimicking the Keystone Kops. Welcome back, Mercer; what’s next—turtle soup? (Wordless picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7614-5812-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2011
“Like most children you have probably thought to yourself at one time or another, I bet a pig parade would be a lot of fun.” After all, “pig parade” is even fun to say…but did you know that pigs hate to march? They would rather snuffle, which doesn’t lend itself to parading. Pigs won’t wear uniforms. Hard to say why; maybe they think uniforms unflattering, which is just foolish. Pigs care nothing for floats (except those involving root beer), and their trotters can’t hold the lines for giant balloons. To top it off, pigs prefer sad, slow country ballads to peppy marching-band music. Maybe a panda parade, then...? Black and Hawkes reteam to good effect for a second sly and silly animal-centered tale (Chicken Cheeks, 2009). Black’s deadpan wit might not be to all tastes, but sophisticated young audiences will hoot at the interplay of illustration and text. Hawkes’s acrylic paintings, most full-bleed, of realistic porkers munching on majorette uniforms and noodling with instruments are nothing short of spectacular. A preposterous, porcine pleasure. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4169-7922-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2010
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