PLB 0-7358-1068-0 Woodland creatures are terrified to discover a hippopotamus in their midst, but when they discover he’s a friendly fellow, his size becomes less intimidating. When a small circus decides they don’t need Horatio, the hippopotamus decides to go home to Africa instead of waiting around to be sold. He ends up in a deciduous forest, where squirrels, mice, and badgers peek at him from among the leaves. Horatio’s gentle nature wins them over, just in time for them to help him baffle the hunters who are hot on his trail. “How could a hippo vanish into thin air?” puzzles one hunter as he leans against a large gray boulder. By the time he figures out the rock was really Horatio, the hippo has found another hiding place (his legs become tree stumps the hunters climb as part of their search; he also becomes a small flower-covered island). The hunters eventually give up in frustration, while Horatio decides he’s found a new home. Slow to start, Weigelt’s story becomes truly funny when the hunters enter the scene; the contrast between the deadpan text and Horatio’s absurd hiding places is pitch-perfect for preschoolers, who know only too well how to hide in plain sight. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7358-1067-2
Page Count: 28
Publisher: NorthSouth
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The gastronomical oddity of eating winged and many-legged creatures is fleetingly examined in a superficial text that looks at animals and people who eat insects. Bugs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are gobbled up by a shrew, an aardvark, a bear, a gecko, and others. The rhyme scheme limits the information presented; specificity about the types of insects eaten is sacrificed for the sake of making the rhyme flow, e.g., a mouse, a trout, a praying mantis, a nuthatch, and a bat are repeatedly said to eat “bugs” or “insects” in general, rather than naming the mayflies, moths, or grubs they enjoy. An author’s note explains her choice of the word bugs for all crawly things; an addendum takes care of other particulars lacking in the text. Long’s exacting pen-and-ink style lends a naturalistic perfection to this visual playground of the insect world, enhancing this glimpse of vital link in the food chain. (Picture book. 4-7)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-88106-271-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
Big Brown Bear, with a natty bowler hat, is all set to paint the house in this cheerful Level 1 reader. Every page presents a full-color scene and a few words of easily predicted, often rhyming text: “Bear is big. Bear is brown. Bear goes up. He comes down.” Big Bear climbs a ladder with a pail of blue paint, while nearby, Little Bear plays with a ball and bat—“Oh no! Little Bear! Do not do that!” These are simple words, but sometimes challenging ones, e.g., there are two uses of up, as in climbing the ladder and washing up. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations provide nearly ideal context, while also amplifying the story. The format is attractive and practical, featuring large type on a white background that is placed for easy reading. Beginning readers will be amused by the gentle humor in the book, and feel accomplished to have tackled it themselves. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201999-5
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Green Light/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
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