Clouds in the sky work to make weather through shade, rain, and snow, but one special cloud named Lola turns herself into incredible, creative, artful figures.
Thor, a large, godlike, domineering male cloud, chastises Lola for her playfulness, telling her “Clouds make weather, not shapes,” and howling “You’re the worst cloud ever!” Lola refuses to be intimidated or dissuaded by the overbearing voice of Thor and continues to display her personality through her fabulous shapes. “I may not be a weather-maker!” she declares, “but I can be ferocious…humorous…gorgeous.” For people on the ground Lola’s creations are remarkably lifelike, resembling in turn a roaring lion, a juggling penguin, and a beautiful girl. Despite Thor’s disapproval, the other clouds are inspired and learn to fluff and puff themselves into shapes with Lola, while Thor eventually relents: “Bravo, Lola!…You are one of a kind.” Lush digital illustrations place pastoral scenes in the foreground with (mostly) sky-blue hues in the background, accentuated by the downy, frothy whites of the various cloud characters. Lola’s attitude inspires confidence in one’s imaginative abilities to pursue life’s aspirations. Though not a new idea, this rendition is lovely and will couple well with Charles Shaw’s classic, It Looked Like Spilt Milk (1947). A brief addendum on the different types of clouds and their significance is included.
An airy idyll. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: March 12, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-56846-319-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Creative Editions/Creative Company
Review Posted Online: Jan. 28, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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Echoing the meter of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Ward uses catchy original rhymes to describe the variety of nests birds create.
Each sweet stanza is complemented by a factual, engaging description of the nesting habits of each bird. Some of the notes are intriguing, such as the fact that the hummingbird uses flexible spider web to construct its cup-shaped nest so the nest will stretch as the chicks grow. An especially endearing nesting behavior is that of the emperor penguin, who, with unbelievable patience, incubates the egg between his tummy and his feet for up to 60 days. The author clearly feels a mission to impart her extensive knowledge of birds and bird behavior to the very young, and she’s found an appealing and attractive way to accomplish this. The simple rhymes on the left page of each spread, written from the young bird’s perspective, will appeal to younger children, and the notes on the right-hand page of each spread provide more complex factual information that will help parents answer further questions and satisfy the curiosity of older children. Jenkins’ accomplished collage illustrations of common bird species—woodpecker, hummingbird, cowbird, emperor penguin, eagle, owl, wren—as well as exotics, such as flamingoes and hornbills, are characteristically naturalistic and accurate in detail.
A good bet for the youngest bird-watchers. (author’s note, further resources) (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 18, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-2116-5
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 4, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2014
Categories: CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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An exercise of spatial thinking through a snowy forest.
Camilla the warthog collects maps. Maps of stars, New York, even the London Tube. She even owns an ancient map of her forest. Unfortunately for her, she believes all lands have been explored and there is nothing new to chart. However, with a snowy morning comes a new opportunity. When her hedgehog neighbor, Parsley, asks for her help in finding the creek, Camilla quivers with excitement when she realizes the snow-covered land “is uncharted territory.” With all landmarks covered in snow, Camilla and Parsley must use their spatial-reasoning skills and a compass to find a new way to the creek. Their trailblazing journey proves a challenge as they keep bumping into trees, rocks, and walls. But when they find the creek, Camilla will have all the information and tools ready to draw out a new map, to break out in case of another snowfall. Wood’s delightful illustrations and Dillemuth’s expertise in the matter engage readers in the woodland creatures’ adventures. In addition, Dillemuth, who holds a doctorate in geography, provides activities in the backmatter for parents and caregivers to help children develop their own spatial-reasoning skills, such as sketching and reading maps or using cardinal directions.
An adorable adventure in cartography. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4338-3033-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Magination/American Psychological Association
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
Categories: CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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