Friendship and the difficulty of clear communication are the basis for the conflict between classic duos like Frog and Toad,...
Three stories told in mostly one-syllable sight words for beginning readers introduce yet another odd-couple pair of animal friends.
Each chapter uses just 40 to 50 words of conversation between two invertebrate friends who share the roles of dimwitted innocent and slightly bemused foil. First, Snail talks to a rock named Bob, prompting Worm to introduce a stick named Ann. In the second tale, Worm cheers Snail's triumphal conquest of a flower that bends almost to the ground under its weight. In the third story, Worm's attempts at description are tripped up by Snail's overactive imagination. Snail imagines a terrifying spider as Worm describes a lost dog without ever using the word “dog.” Unfortunately the quirky, animation-inspired illustrations do not match either Worm's description or Snail's imaginings, leaving readers clueless and just as confused as Snail when Worm's pet appears. The final twist, that Snail's pet is a “dog” named Rex that is clearly a spider, will puzzle rather than amuse young readers. The underlying problem with all these tales is that the humor is exceedingly understated and dependent on a sophisticated sense of irony; children struggling to decode the text will get little help from the illustrations.
Friendship and the difficulty of clear communication are the basis for the conflict between classic duos like Frog and Toad, George and Martha, and Elephant and Piggie. None of these need to fear being replaced by Snail and Worm. (Early reader. 6-9)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-49412-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 16, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2016
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Charming.
An assortment of unusual characters form friendships and help each other become their best selves.
Mr. and Mrs. Tupper, who live at Number 3 Ramshorn Drive, are antiquarians. Their daughter, Jillian, loves and cares for a plant named Ivy, who has “three speckles on each leaf and three letters in her name.” Toasty, the grumpy goldfish, lives in an octagonal tank and wishes he were Jillian’s favorite; when Arthur the spider arrives inside an antique desk, he brings wisdom and insight. Ollie the violet plant, Louise the bee, and Sunny the canary each arrive with their own quirks and problems to solve. Each character has a distinct personality and perspective; sometimes they clash, but more often they learn to empathize, see each other’s points of view, and work to help one another. They also help the Tupper family with bills and a burglar. The Fan brothers’ soft-edged, old-fashioned, black-and-white illustrations depict Toasty and Arthur with tiny hats; Ivy and Ollie have facial expressions on their plant pots. The Tuppers have paper-white skin and dark hair. The story comes together like a recipe: Simple ingredients combine, transform, and rise into something wonderful. In its matter-of-fact wisdom, rich vocabulary (often defined within the text), hint of magic, and empathetic nonhuman characters who solve problems in creative ways, this delightful work is reminiscent of Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo, and Ivy Lost and Found by Cynthia Lord and Stephanie Graegin.
Charming. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
ISBN: 9781665942485
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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