An otter with the soul of a poet goes on a moonlit quest. Flibbertigibbet sleeps all day and prowls his woodland world by the light of the “freckly” moon, admiring the wonders of nature. One night, King Otter disturbs his reverie with an insult and a demand: The “lazy” Flibbertigibbet must catch him a fish on a silver dish before first light. Flibberty swims quickly downstream and, upon surfacing, gets an offer of help from majestic Heron. The duo travels in tandem for miles, nearly to the sea, further than Flibberty has ever swum. It’s nearly morning, there’s no sign of Heron and no sign of a fish; Flibberty rounds a bend and there stands King Otter, awaiting his meal. All seems lost until a (nearly literal) Hail Mary pass saves the day, and turns this odyssey into an allegory. Humphries’s lyrical prose, festooned with internal rhymes and wordplay, is perfectly matched to his beautiful, dusky watercolors. They shine with a silvery light, investing the adventure with a suitably majestic magic. First-rate. (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-906250-69-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Boxer Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2009
The wriggly narrator of Diary of a Worm (2003) puts in occasional appearances, but it’s his arachnid buddy who takes center stage here, with terse, tongue-in-cheek comments on his likes (his close friend Fly, Charlotte’s Web), his dislikes (vacuums, people with big feet), nervous encounters with a huge Daddy Longlegs, his extended family—which includes a Grandpa more than willing to share hard-won wisdom (The secret to a long, happy life: “Never fall asleep in a shoe.”)—and mishaps both at spider school and on the human playground. Bliss endows his garden-dwellers with faces and the odd hat or other accessory, and creates cozy webs or burrows colorfully decorated with corks, scraps, plastic toys and other human detritus. Spider closes with the notion that we could all get along, “just like me and Fly,” if we but got to know one another. Once again, brilliantly hilarious. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-000153-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2005
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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